Wurly and Curly thread!!!

[rena]

Just wanted to pop in and say wurly/curly hair rocks! I love looking as though I actually have hair when I really do not have that much to speak of, and I never worry about looking like a deflated souffle >_<. Just shake or swipe the comb upwards a few times and there it is. Born styled ^^. That is all. *Runs off*

[looniac]

Does anyone here use the technique plopping? At what length do you think curly hair is appropriate for plopping? My hair is currently APL when wet, SL when dry... is it worth it to try?

[bunzfan]

I'm sad that the waves are straightening out i think its the extra length but i don't want layers put back in i can finally do a decent braid and updo.

[Theobroma]

I'm sad that the waves are straightening out i think its the extra length but i don't want layers put back in i can finally do a decent braid and updo.

Heh. Yes. I'm starting to suspect that this whole curly lark is going to become largely academic when I get to my goal length -- even if gravity doesn't end up mostly eliminating my spirals, it's just going to be monstrously impractical to airdry loose from dripping wet once I get close to classic!

Better enjoy them while we still can, I think. :)

[Neecola]

Does anyone here use the technique plopping? At what length do you think curly hair is appropriate for plopping? My hair is currently APL when wet, SL when dry... is it worth it to try?

I do; my hair is chin length. I keep it "plopped" as I finish getting ready and then take it down while it's still somewhat damp and use clips for volume. Works very well but I am concerned about being able to do it when it's longer...

I have looked into using a diffuser in the pixie method (keeping it off until you have the diffuser in place, running it for a minute, turning off before moving it to the next section, etc.) but am still concerned about damage.

[Hollyfire3]

Does anyone here use the technique plopping? At what length do you think curly hair is appropriate for plopping? My hair is currently APL when wet, SL when dry... is it worth it to try?


I would say yes, just be sure that the curls are arranged nicely in the towel or else they will lay funny when dry. go forth and conquer the art of plopping!

[Hollyfire3]

I'm sad that the waves are straightening out i think its the extra length but i don't want layers put back in i can finally do a decent braid and updo.


Have you tried plopping? it might enhance the wurls? Or maybe wait until summer when all is humid and hot? Try extra moisture now, but do not give up on your wurls! From what i have seen, they are beautiful! I have also lost curls for different reasons then you and just did an SMT with mollasses instead of honey...and some of them are coming back on the ends! too soon to tell though because my hair is still very wet...stupid stupid thick hair...i'm gonna be here a while (up that is)

[C.H.]

Heh. Yes. I'm starting to suspect that this whole curly lark is going to become largely academic when I get to my goal length -- even if gravity doesn't end up mostly eliminating my spirals, it's just going to be monstrously impractical to airdry loose from dripping wet once I get close to classic!

Better enjoy them while we still can, I think. :)

Word.

.....

[CurlyCap]

Word.

.....

You know, I've never had a problem with sucking most of the water out of my hair with a quick towel turban and squeeze. It takes two seconds and leaves my towel sodden, but it works. The key is that my hair is left wet enought to curl naturally but not wet enough to make a big drippy mess.

So, sure, we can't thoroughly towel dry like a straighty, or even agitate with a towel like them, but we certainly have other options than Human Dripping Sponge.

[C.H.]

You know, I've never had a problem with sucking most of the water out of my hair with a quick towel turban and squeeze. It takes two seconds and leaves my towel sodden, but it works. The key is that my hair is left wet enought to curl naturally but not wet enough to make a big drippy mess.

So, sure, we can't thoroughly towel dry like a straighty, or even agitate with a towel like them, but we certainly have other options than Human Dripping Sponge.

I'll have to experiment with that some more. I do some towel scrunching/squeezing to get some of the excess water out. And it's great not to be dripping wet, but I'm not sure that it actually speeds the ultimate drying time all that much.

[joliherb]

What is "plopping"? I tried to search for it but didn't come up with anything. Thank you!

[Theobroma]

You know, I've never had a problem with sucking most of the water out of my hair with a quick towel turban and squeeze. It takes two seconds and leaves my towel sodden, but it works. The key is that my hair is left wet enought to curl naturally but not wet enough to make a big drippy mess.

The problem I'm having these days (now that my ends are at hip) is that even a few minutes in the towel turban will still leave enough water in my hair for the ends to start dripping again a couple of minutes after I take the turban off. Can't seem to get enough out of the length (and most importantly, the scalp/nape area) without making the ends too dry to curl naturally.

It's all a learning curve... :)

[curlsgalore]

What is "plopping"? I tried to search for it but didn't come up with anything. Thank you!


Plopping/plunking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSN_nTWDVAo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2qD38ZYX6A

[Hollyfire3]

The problem I'm having these days (now that my ends are at hip) is that even a few minutes in the towel turban will still leave enough water in my hair for the ends to start dripping again a couple of minutes after I take the turban off. Can't seem to get enough out of the length (and most importantly, the scalp/nape area) without making the ends too dry to curl naturally.

It's all a learning curve... :)

You could try gentle scrunching? Maybe take your ends and scrunch them with the towel in your hand? This helps bring back some curl to my currently curless (from damage) hair. I also use curl mousse to set the curls in my hair, maybe try this? Finesse has acohol free mouse, so it will not be as damaging?

[Hollyfire3]

I have a question for curlies, my hair used to be curlier, but has gotten wavy because of all the damage i have subjected it to for years, it is really ticking me off. In my quest to get my hair back, i have been waashing much more frequently (went from every 2-4 days to every day) because i can no longer stand to look at my hair without trying the next day to get it to curl, basically i wash it one day and can deal with it being kinda wavy but then the next day i might do an SMT or a treatment ( i did 2 SMTs and a cassia treatment in 4 days after clarifying, it sounds like alot but it has helped, i have switched shampoos twice also in one week) then i wash it, i am trying to see what my hair needs and likes to be balanced so that maybe it will curl, it is an ongoing project that sometimes resutls in a good hair day here and there, although my main goal is learning to be consistent so my hair is consistent. I know somewhere on here i said i was trying Aussie shampoo for a week to see if it works, but it didn't work in 3 days so i got fed up and started using Finesse texture enhancing shampoo and like it alot better already, so if my hair doesn't decide to radically object to the bit of soy protein in this shampoo (which it very well might do), i might try it for a week. Okay, now for the question, can i wash my hair every day for now until i develop a routine? I know its dryign and all that and i plan to wash my hair less frequently once all this is fixed (if it ever will be), but for now, are daily washings ok?

[GRU]

Okay, now for the question, can i wash my hair every day for now until i develop a routine? I know its dryign and all that and i plan to wash my hair less frequently once all this is fixed (if it ever will be), but for now, are daily washings ok?

Every wash is sucking more moisture out of your hair, which is sucking more curl out of your hair.

I highly recommend CO-washing and cutting out silicones. It's worked wonders for my curls.

[CurlyCap]

And it's great not to be dripping wet, but I'm not sure that it actually speeds the ultimate drying time all that much.

No, I agree with you on that. Unless I sit in front of a fan, the total drying time is still pretty ridiculous. The only difference is whether I'm dripping during the process.

[CurlyCap]

The problem I'm having these days (now that my ends are at hip) is that even a few minutes in the towel turban will still leave enough water in my hair for the ends to start dripping again a couple of minutes after I take the turban off. Can't seem to get enough out of the length (and most importantly, the scalp/nape area) without making the ends too dry to curl naturally.

It's all a learning curve... :)

Well, all the water in your hair is going to make its way down the clumps to the ends. Usually, I just dab the ends with a hand towel when the water works it's way down. It doesn't disturb the curls and keeps me from having a wet back.

Thing is, I shower at night, so I can do this while watching TV or playing on the internet. Cant' imagine how to fix it if I were at work.

[Hollyfire3]

Every wash is sucking more moisture out of your hair, which is sucking more curl out of your hair.

I highly recommend CO-washing and cutting out silicones. It's worked wonders for my curls.


I try not to use silicones (because i heard they pulled wave out of hair), but the current shampoo i just used for the first time last night (finesse texture enchancing) has some in it. The shampoo gave some wave back and volume but i think the curls will take some time. I would CO wash but i use a ridiculous amount of mousse (it is the only product i use and the only thing that makes my hair kinda wavy now days) and am worried CO washing will not take this out. Also, i have heard many accounts of heavy shedding as a result of CO washing, if there is even the possibility of this, i wish to steer clear because i like my hair where it is, not down the drain. I would love to try CO washing, really i would (i am an adict when it comes to new stuff that might actually work for me) but i worry the risks of even trying it out weigh the benifits. It is quite a dilema really, but i think i am willing to give this finesse shampoo some time, a week or so, to see if i like it, i used vo5 as a conditioner and it seemed to make my hair too soft, nearly too soft to curl, has this ever happened to you? i know it is cone free, but it seems to make my hair even more slippery then when i used cones.

[GRU]

I've never seen any medical reason for CO-washing causing shedding. Unless you're using a conditioner you're allergic to or something with a depilatory agent in it, there is nothing that should cause shedding other than what one would normally get.

I think what is more common is that people tend to actually rub their scalp more with conditioner than they do with shampoo, so more hair that would normally have been shed throughout the course of a normal day ends up getting shed in the shower. Similar to what happens to people who use the "Curly Girl" method -- without brushes/combs/fingers being run through their hair several times a day, the hairs that get shed normally are "stuck" in the curls until the next shower.

If you read around on the internet long enough, you'll find people who had shedding "caused" by every brand of shampoo, conditioner, serum, hair spray, gel, mousse, DT, hard water, soft water, towels, brushes, combs, ACV rinses, WO-washing, CO-washing, sebum-only method, etc.

I've been dealing with my hair for 40+ years, and the best condition it's ever been in is the condition it's in right now as a result of CO-washing, no silicones, and only using gentle detangling methods (TT or wide comb with conditioner). I hope you find something that works for you.

[Hollyfire3]

I've never seen any medical reason for CO-washing causing shedding. Unless you're using a conditioner you're allergic to or something with a depilatory agent in it, there is nothing that should cause shedding other than what one would normally get.

I think what is more common is that people tend to actually rub their scalp more with conditioner than they do with shampoo, so more hair that would normally have been shed throughout the course of a normal day ends up getting shed in the shower. Similar to what happens to people who use the "Curly Girl" method -- without brushes/combs/fingers being run through their hair several times a day, the hairs that get shed normally are "stuck" in the curls until the next shower.

If you read around on the internet long enough, you'll find people who had shedding "caused" by every brand of shampoo, conditioner, serum, hair spray, gel, mousse, DT, hard water, soft water, towels, brushes, combs, ACV rinses, WO-washing, CO-washing, sebum-only method, etc.

I've been dealing with my hair for 40+ years, and the best condition it's ever been in is the condition it's in right now as a result of CO-washing, no silicones, and only using gentle detangling methods (TT or wide comb with conditioner). I hope you find something that works for you.


Thank youm i hope i find something that works too. I might try CO washing after all but i don't think my hair likes Vo5, do you know of any other cone free conditioners (maybe Suave, but isn't it just the same thing) i could use for CO washig? You are right about the "there is a horrible review for everything", i just get so worried and parinoid about something going so wrong. I am open to anything, and have considered the curly girl method, but i have yet to find the right products to use. I will keep looking of this thread for ways to try and fix my hair, again thank you for the tips. Your hair is absolutly stunning, by the way, it must really love you and your current routiune, i wish my hair was that happy with me :)

[sycamoreboutiqu]

I strongly agree with the advice to CO wash - try it you might be surprised.

Strangely, I found that my hair has been getting wavier the older I get. I finally figured out why.

I no longer take the time to blow dry, and use a curling iron like I used to and now that I have adopted the curly girl method I never do. And my hair just keeps getting wavier, these days it spirals easily when wet.

Perhaps your shampoo / mousse combo is killing the natural wave you used to have, and might have again. Seems like it probably is.

Try the curly method for a week and see if you don't notice some improvement. CO washing was probably the single best thing I have done for my hair in years. Oiling would be the next or perhaps no heat. Probably no heat was the next most important, followed by oiling.



As smooth as my hair can get. Thank you Coconut Oil

[sycamoreboutiqu]

The problem I'm having these days (now that my ends are at hip) is that even a few minutes in the towel turban will still leave enough water in my hair for the ends to start dripping again a couple of minutes after I take the turban off. Can't seem to get enough out of the length (and most importantly, the scalp/nape area) without making the ends too dry to curl naturally.

It's all a learning curve... :)

I am at tailbone now and drying is quite an ordeal.

I have found that if I just spend some extra time squeezing out water over the tub that I get drier faster (it is still 12-16 hours if I have to put it up damp).

I just stay leaning over the tub and squeegee my scalp with my hands, working the water down through the ends and squeeze the ends between my fingers. I repeat this 7 or 8 times over 5 min or so until I can't squeeze anything more. Then I turban and leave it for a good 15 minutes - sometimes flipping the towel around to put the drier end at the scalp.

By this time it is at a damp stage that is manageable where I can sit and let it fall without drips.

[Theobroma]

I've never seen any medical reason for CO-washing causing shedding. Unless you're using a conditioner you're allergic to or something with a depilatory agent in it, there is nothing that should cause shedding other than what one would normally get.

I think what is more common is that people tend to actually rub their scalp more with conditioner than they do with shampoo, so more hair that would normally have been shed throughout the course of a normal day ends up getting shed in the shower.

I'm sure this is a factor, but I CO'ed exclusively for over a year and a half and for at least the last six months of that period, my shedding was noticeably and consistently heavier than I remember it being with shampoo. That and a buildup issue caused me (very reluctantly) to dig out my last, half-finished bottle of SLeS shampoo, and when I did so, the difference in how my scalp felt made me realise that CO hadn't been getting my scalp as clean as shampoo does. Perhaps that's a factor in shedding? At any rate, I lost only about half as much hair in my last two washes (with shampoo) than I normally shed in a CO wash, despite the same amount of scalp rubbing as I do with CO.

I'm planning to keep shampooing for a bit to see whether this is an actual trend or a one-off fluke. One thing I do like about shampooing is that it doesn't take as long, and my hair airdries more quickly too.

(Apologies for a post that's more relevant to the CO-washing thread than to this one...)

[GRU]

Thank youm i hope i find something that works too. I might try CO washing after all but i don't think my hair likes Vo5, do you know of any other cone free conditioners (maybe Suave, but isn't it just the same thing) i could use for CO washig?

I use Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut for both CO-washing and my leave-in.

Many people need to try several different products to find the one that works best for them -- every head of hair is unique, so there is no one "perfect" product. Read through the CO-washing thread for more info.



I'm sure this is a factor, but I CO'ed exclusively for over a year and a half and for at least the last six months of that period, my shedding was noticeably and consistently heavier than I remember it being with shampoo. That and a buildup issue caused me (very reluctantly) to dig out my last, half-finished bottle of SLeS shampoo, and when I did so, the difference in how my scalp felt made me realise that CO hadn't been getting my scalp as clean as shampoo does. Perhaps that's a factor in shedding? At any rate, I lost only about half as much hair in my last two washes (with shampoo) than I normally shed in a CO wash, despite the same amount of scalp rubbing as I do with CO.


I think some people get hung up on *only* CO-washing or *only* WO-washing or *only* shampoo-washing, etc. I like to see CO-washing or any of the other techniques as tools we have in our toolbox to use as the need arises. Just as in home repairs, sometimes you need a flat screwdriver, sometimes a Phillips screwdriver, sometimes a wrench, sometimes a hammer, etc.... hair care is just the same -- maybe CO-washing works well most of the time, but once a month or once every six months or once a year you need to shampoo, just like sometimes you may need an SMT or a protein treatment or whatever. Even if you're alternating between CO-washing and shampooing every other wash, you're still using the tools at your disposal to get the job done while minimizing the collateral damage. None of this needs to be an all-or-nothing type of gig.

As for factors in shedding, I think they're too numerous for us to even fathom. Humidity, temperature, stress, hormones, diet, pollutants, illnesses, seasons, barometric pressures, allergies.... unless someone's shedding has been verified by a healthcare worker (as in they have bald patches on their scalp) I tend to dismiss anecdotal claims that I see around here.

For example, most childhood ear infections are viral in origin. They will clear up on their own within 48-72 hours with no medical intervention whatsoever. But people take their kid to the doctor, and the doctor writes a prescription for antibiotics, and the kid starts to feel better about 48 hours later, so the parents think that the antibiotics "cured" the ear infection, and they want/expect/demand another prescription the next time their kid gets an ear infection. But if the doctor instead gave them a prescription to feed the kid nothing but chicken noodle soup for three days, and the kid started to feel better about 48 hours later, the parents would think that the soup "cured" the ear infection. And if the doctor instead gave them a prescription to have the kid sleep on the floor instead of the bed for three days.... they'd think that the floor-sleeping "cured" the ear infection.

This is why I tend to dismiss most claims of shedding caused by products that are created specifically for application to the hair or scalp... chances are it was random shedding, and it would have stopped whether the person changed their ways or not.

Conditioner is made to be applied to the head/hair/scalp -- it doesn't have a depilatory function. A particular ingredient may cause an allergic reaction, which may result in a dermatitis-related loss of hair, but that doesn't mean that "conditioner in general" is to blame. Same with brushes and combs... when I see people claim that a TT or BB or a comb or whatever "caused shedding" I see that as something that is physically impossible, unless they are bashing themselves in the head with it (to damage the follicle) or using the tool to forcibly yank hairs out by the root.... in neither case is that the fault of the instrument.

[Alibran]

Okay, now for the question, can i wash my hair every day for now until i develop a routine? I know its dryign and all that and i plan to wash my hair less frequently once all this is fixed (if it ever will be), but for now, are daily washings ok?

I wash every day by one method or another. It's the only way to actually keep moisture in my hair because I have very little, and very thick, sebum that doesn't travel down the hair shaft at all, and my hair doesn't take moisture at all well when it's dry.

Mostly, I CWC, but if my scalp doesn't need washing, I'll just skip the wash stage and condition. Occasionally, I S&C with a mild shampoo if I'm starting to get some build up.

My hair's short at the moment, and I probably won't grow beyond the point of it being practical to wash daily.

[curlsgalore]

I strongly agree with the advice to CO wash - try it you might be surprised.

Strangely, I found that my hair has been getting wavier the older I get. I finally figured out why.

I no longer take the time to blow dry, and use a curling iron like I used to and now that I have adopted the curly girl method I never do. And my hair just keeps getting wavier, these days it spirals easily when wet.

Perhaps your shampoo / mousse combo is killing the natural wave you used to have, and might have again. Seems like it probably is.

Try the curly method for a week and see if you don't notice some improvement. CO washing was probably the single best thing I have done for my hair in years. Oiling would be the next or perhaps no heat. Probably no heat was the next most important, followed by oiling.



As smooth as my hair can get. Thank you Coconut Oil

Your hair is gorgeous and so thick!! Off topic.....have you tried oil shampoo or do you just cowash?

[Theobroma]

I just stay leaning over the tub and squeegee my scalp with my hands, working the water down through the ends and squeeze the ends between my fingers. I repeat this 7 or 8 times over 5 min or so until I can't squeeze anything more. Then I turban and leave it for a good 15 minutes - sometimes flipping the towel around to put the drier end at the scalp.

Does it still curl naturally after 15 minutes in a towel turban? I find that my ends don't curl nicely if I leave them in the towel for too long -- but then I think my hair is less curly than yours to start with, and the curl is easily discouraged. Even contact with my body while drying will leave some parts of the length in an annoying state that's neither curly nor straight, and even if it dries nicely curly one pass with the comb will leave it in a fluffy semi-straight condition that's good only for putting in an updo!

[terylenerose]

Hi there, everyone! I have somewhat curly hair, though I can't say for sure if it's 2c or 3a. I don't have much to add to the discussion because I have spent far more time trying to straighten my hair than getting it to curl, but I have been thinking about possible changes to my routine that could make my hair hold its curl better. I'm not sure what to do yet. I'm going to try baking soda sometime, and I would like to be able to comb less but am not sure how to go about that.

[Hollyfire3]

I use Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut for both CO-washing and my leave-in.

Many people need to try several different products to find the one that works best for them -- every head of hair is unique, so there is no one "perfect" product. Read through the CO-washing thread for more info.





I think some people get hung up on *only* CO-washing or *only* WO-washing or *only* shampoo-washing, etc. I like to see CO-washing or any of the other techniques as tools we have in our toolbox to use as the need arises. Just as in home repairs, sometimes you need a flat screwdriver, sometimes a Phillips screwdriver, sometimes a wrench, sometimes a hammer, etc.... hair care is just the same -- maybe CO-washing works well most of the time, but once a month or once every six months or once a year you need to shampoo, just like sometimes you may need an SMT or a protein treatment or whatever. Even if you're alternating between CO-washing and shampooing every other wash, you're still using the tools at your disposal to get the job done while minimizing the collateral damage. None of this needs to be an all-or-nothing type of gig.

As for factors in shedding, I think they're too numerous for us to even fathom. Humidity, temperature, stress, hormones, diet, pollutants, illnesses, seasons, barometric pressures, allergies.... unless someone's shedding has been verified by a healthcare worker (as in they have bald patches on their scalp) I tend to dismiss anecdotal claims that I see around here.

For example, most childhood ear infections are viral in origin. They will clear up on their own within 48-72 hours with no medical intervention whatsoever. But people take their kid to the doctor, and the doctor writes a prescription for antibiotics, and the kid starts to feel better about 48 hours later, so the parents think that the antibiotics "cured" the ear infection, and they want/expect/demand another prescription the next time their kid gets an ear infection. But if the doctor instead gave them a prescription to feed the kid nothing but chicken noodle soup for three days, and the kid started to feel better about 48 hours later, the parents would think that the soup "cured" the ear infection. And if the doctor instead gave them a prescription to have the kid sleep on the floor instead of the bed for three days.... they'd think that the floor-sleeping "cured" the ear infection.

This is why I tend to dismiss most claims of shedding caused by products that are created specifically for application to the hair or scalp... chances are it was random shedding, and it would have stopped whether the person changed their ways or not.

Conditioner is made to be applied to the head/hair/scalp -- it doesn't have a depilatory function. A particular ingredient may cause an allergic reaction, which may result in a dermatitis-related loss of hair, but that doesn't mean that "conditioner in general" is to blame. Same with brushes and combs... when I see people claim that a TT or BB or a comb or whatever "caused shedding" I see that as something that is physically impossible, unless they are bashing themselves in the head with it (to damage the follicle) or using the tool to forcibly yank hairs out by the root.... in neither case is that the fault of the instrument.


This gives me new hope, i might try the CO washing method tonight thank you so much:)

[Hollyfire3]

I wash every day by one method or another. It's the only way to actually keep moisture in my hair because I have very little, and very thick, sebum that doesn't travel down the hair shaft at all, and my hair doesn't take moisture at all well when it's dry.

Mostly, I CWC, but if my scalp doesn't need washing, I'll just skip the wash stage and condition. Occasionally, I S&C with a mild shampoo if I'm starting to get some build up.

My hair's short at the moment, and I probably won't grow beyond the point of it being practical to wash daily.


I am planning to grow my hair out to about HL maybe longer and it is about BSL right now so soon, especially with my thick hair, it will become very impractical to dry naturally so i want to eventually only wash every 5 or maybe more days.I might try CWC if CO washing fails to work. My hair can't decide if it needs protein or moisture and i think it hates me very much, even though i keep trying to make it happy, oh well...

[QueenMadge]

I CO wash probably two times per week. Once every week and a half or so I use very dilute shampoo and do a scalp wash. My hair tends to lose moisture quickly and if I wash or wet it more frequently it gets really really dry and fuzzy and loses curl definition.

I also have a hard time finding a CO conditioner that does not irritate my scalp and cause itchies. I am experimenting with natural conditioners like honey and molasses to try and remedy that.

[Hollyfire3]

I CO wash probably two times per week. Once every week and a half or so I use very dilute shampoo and do a scalp wash. My hair tends to lose moisture quickly and if I wash or wet it more frequently it gets really really dry and fuzzy and loses curl definition.

I also have a hard time finding a CO conditioner that does not irritate my scalp and cause itchies. I am experimenting with natural conditioners like honey and molasses to try and remedy that.


Molasses is great, i used it twice in an SMT and gave my hair great shine and softness, it also seemed to darken my hair a bit, so steer clear if you have light hair (mine is dark brown). The fuzzy and no curl definition part sounds like my hair, but all the moisture i add to it just makes it striaghter...wierd...

[Alibran]

I am planning to grow my hair out to about HL maybe longer and it is about BSL right now so soon, especially with my thick hair, it will become very impractical to dry naturally so i want to eventually only wash every 5 or maybe more days.

That's my problem. It's so thick that it takes all day to dry at hip length, but I've never found a way of stretching washes without it becoming a frizzy, dry mess. That's a lot of the reason why it ended up short again - because I just couldn't manage it. This time, I'm just going to take it really slowly and make sure I can look after it properly at the length it's at before I grow it any longer. I now know from experience that it doesn't get easier as it gets longer!

[Hollyfire3]

That's my problem. It's so thick that it takes all day to dry at hip length, but I've never found a way of stretching washes without it becoming a frizzy, dry mess. That's a lot of the reason why it ended up short again - because I just couldn't manage it. This time, I'm just going to take it really slowly and make sure I can look after it properly at the length it's at before I grow it any longer. I now know from experience that it doesn't get easier as it gets longer!

That sucks, and i know exactly what you mean, i try to stretch washes (except for now because i just can't STAND this crap my hair is putting me through now, so it gets washed daily in hopes of coaxing it into looking better...i'll get back to you on that one, this might take a while, lol) ,my hair takes 3 solid hours to dry in a small room with a large ceiling fan, if i go to bed with wet hair, i am forced to blow dry in the morning. i am only at BSL and worried my hair will take forever to dry at my goal length, no i know it will take forever, but if that is the least of all problems i have with my hair, i will deal with it lol, if i ever get there that is, Good luck growing out and managing your hair, i know how hard it can be.:)

[C.H.]

I am at tailbone now and drying is quite an ordeal.

I have found that if I just spend some extra time squeezing out water over the tub that I get drier faster (it is still 12-16 hours if I have to put it up damp).

I just stay leaning over the tub and squeegee my scalp with my hands, working the water down through the ends and squeeze the ends between my fingers. I repeat this 7 or 8 times over 5 min or so until I can't squeeze anything more. Then I turban and leave it for a good 15 minutes - sometimes flipping the towel around to put the drier end at the scalp.

By this time it is at a damp stage that is manageable where I can sit and let it fall without drips.

Yes, my hair is a little past tailbone now, and air drying is basically an overnight deal. I do a CG process in the evening, then plop overnight into a huge satin scarf. It's still damp the next morning, but is finally dry by about 11 a.m. If it weren't overnight, I'd basically have to wash and everything first thing in the morning, and then it would be dry around bedtime and what would be the point of that?

Anyway, given how long it takes to dry I'm just not willing to do it that often, so I had to find a way to make the curls work for 5-7 days. I just hate spending entire days of my life with wet, transitional hair. Because I feel that my hair looks odd and overly defined the day it dries and looks much better when the curls have softened up a bit the next day. So it's not really until 36-48 hours after the initial wash that I think my hair actually looks good. If I had to then start all over? No. That sh*t needs to last for a while.

[Quixii]

I'm just super lazy/benign neglect about drying. I squeeze out water with towel after I first get out of the shower. After a minute or so it'll start dripping again, and I either keep patting it dry or ignore it. I throw it up in a ponytail to get it out of my face while it dries. I ignore it. It eventually either dries and looks good or dries and looks okay. Usually I shower at night so it does more of its drying while I'm sleeping.
I've just recently discovered that if I put it up in a cinnabun while it is still very wet (not damp, but dripping wet), I can leave it up for however many hours, and then when I take it down, it will still be slightly damp but will finish drying in about ten minutes and will have less frizz.
But honestly, unless I have an event, I'm not really watching how my hair looks or how it's drying.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Your hair is gorgeous and so thick!! Off topic.....have you tried oil shampoo or do you just cowash?

Thanks.

I have tried the oil shampoo and really liked the results. I didn't like the feel of it wet however and it was nearly impossible to detangle when anything less than saturated in water so I would have to go to bed with semi-tangled wet hair.

The next day however it felt completely different, fairly smooth - after it got combed out.

I think I have some pics in my album of the oil shampoo results. My hair really formed some ropes, but they felt rough so it wasn't too much fun.

I guess it just ended up being too many extra steps/hours to get about the same results as CO and using leave-ins and oils afterwards.

Right now though the scalp issues are coming back - so I may switch around and do a CWC or try an oil shampoo again for a change.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Does it still curl naturally after 15 minutes in a towel turban? I find that my ends don't curl nicely if I leave them in the towel for too long -- but then I think my hair is less curly than yours to start with, and the curl is easily discouraged. Even contact with my body while drying will leave some parts of the length in an annoying state that's neither curly nor straight, and even if it dries nicely curly one pass with the comb will leave it in a fluffy semi-straight condition that's good only for putting in an updo!

Yes, same here. It only looks kind of curly / fairly wavy if I air dry without any manipulation at all after coming out of the towel. Finger combing or anything makes the canopy instantly go smoother while the underneath layers are like a washboard - super ripply but not really curly.

So yes, I usually put it up too because that half-way wavy look to some people just looks messy and I don't feel like hearing anyone's opinion on that subject :p

[Kelikea]

I noticed that there is a lot of talk about using towel turban, even for a few minutes, then ends are too dry, but length isn't. Does anyone just use a water spray bottle or palm full of water to remedy that? I've always had a water spray bottle to add moisture to my hair, either in the "drying" process or in the styling process. I know it seems counter-productive to add water during drying time, but it can help even out the moisture in the ends/length so that it dries more evenly. It is also a great tool for 2nd or 3rd day waves, rather than jumping back in the shower, it can refresh your hair.

[Theobroma]

I noticed that there is a lot of talk about using towel turban, even for a few minutes, then ends are too dry, but length isn't. Does anyone just use a water spray bottle or palm full of water to remedy that? I've always had a water spray bottle to add moisture to my hair, either in the "drying" process or in the styling process. I know it seems counter-productive to add water during drying time, but it can help even out the moisture in the ends/length so that it dries more evenly. It is also a great tool for 2nd or 3rd day waves, rather than jumping back in the shower, it can refresh your hair.

Oh yes, I've been known to do re-wet my ends. My ends are pretty thin so they tend to dry too quickly no matter what I do, while the back of my head stays damp for hours.

A spray bottle doesn't do it for me, though. I actually run the tap over my ends and then squeeze out the excess water. I do the same on non-wash days with my entire length: I'll wet my hair down good and dripping from neck to ends, finger-comb to encourage some semblance of clumping, and airdry to revive the curls. It works very well and the drying time is far less than when I've washed my hair and it's wet all the way to my scalp.

[CurlyMopTop]

I use a spray bottle when I take my hair out of my turbie. Usually it's my roots and canopy that need the spritz though. Go figure! :D

[midsummernight]

Hi there everyone! just checking in. i am so glad i found this thread. i am going to go back and read every single post! i really need all the help i can get. i have 2c/3a curls that are coarse and frizzy. i am trying to learn more natural methods to caring for my hair!

[MandyBeth]

J's hair is knee wet, mid rear dry. We twist the last 8 inches back up, keeps the ends damp. Her hair dries about 70 percent, then we put it up. Down 12 hours later, it's at 95 percent dry and finishes in a half hour.

[MandyBeth]

J has what looks like a TON of sheds when washing, but her hair is seldom brushed or combed except for when washing. Her hair is washed daily as she is not quite 7 and prone to getting anything and everything in her hair.

[Quixii]

This is going to sound like a stupid post, but..
So, I will openly admit that I still brush my hair. Usually right before I hope in the shower, so I get it thoroughly detangled and then wash and condition it to reset the curls.
Sometimes, though, I just get annoyed with it or whatever, so I brush it before I'm ready to wash it and then braid or bun it. Today was one of those days. However, I decided to try something new first - I filled a spray bottle with water and spritzed my hair until I decided I had spritzed it enough.
And you know what? Rejuvenated curls in much less dry time! The ends actually look really good. The length, a little less so, but, meh.
This is SO not a new thing, but I'm pleased to find that it does work. :D

[Terra]

I do this every morning to refresh my curls:
1) wet my hair (wet my hands and fingercomb my hair until it's damp)
2) add deep conditioner to it
3) let air dry

Drying doesn't take as long as after washing and my hair gets juicy and nicely structured.
The quality of the pattern depends on the product I'm using.
Best is currently Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructor.

[CurlyCap]

Grrrrr. It's official. My hair is now BSL......BUT dry it reaches only an inch past my shoulders.

I'm simultaneously elated and ticked. Elated because it's only been 1.25 years since I shaved the back of my hair. Ticked because people are like "Oh, Curly, it looks like it's finally starting to grow back!" GUH.

The good thing is that I have absolutely no compulsion to grab the straight iron and prove them wrong. I'm delighted with how healthy my hair is and am pleased to let it continue meandering down my back.

[Quixii]

CurlyCap, I know how that is. This weekend I realized I am finally solidly classic when dry. :cheese: However, wet/straight I'm just a couple inches above knee. Oh well..

[Shepherdess]

I'm a curly =) although this year it seems my hair isn't as curly as before. I think that as it has been growing longer, it has been weighing down the curls. :o

[Gilly]

I made a nice discovery today, I have got some Curls Quenched Curls in the cupboard and it irked me that I can't really get on with it as it comes out in a stream not a mist and its just too darn fiddly to smoosh it all through my hair.
Today, I put some in a spray bottle and kept adding water to it until I got it to mist (probably 50/50) I applied it to my hair and it totally bounced up my curls!
I will be trying this again for sure!:D

[CurlyCap]

CurlyCap, I know how that is. This weekend I realized I am finally solidly classic when dry. :cheese: However, wet/straight I'm just a couple inches above knee. Oh well..

Knee?! LOL. I shouldn't be surprised, but at the same time my brain doesn't want to accept it.

I was thinking about growing to TBL or classic this time since I've done waist curly before. But seeing the shrinkage described in black and white....is humbling. :D

[MandyBeth]

J since her curls aren't insanely dry has MAJOR shrinkage. Dry, her hair is mid rear, wet it's knee, pulled straight, it's 3" from the floor. She's 39" tall, almost 7. And she needs a cut, the ends are vile again.

[MandyBeth]

Oh, J's hair, the new 10" of growth shrinks to 2.5" dry. The ends, 12" of hair pulled straight curls up to 9". The high damage goes from 8" to 7". Is the new growth going to relax or is J having hyper tight curls now that they aren't crispy dry?

[GRU]

Oh, J's hair, the new 10" of growth shrinks to 2.5" dry. The ends, 12" of hair pulled straight curls up to 9". The high damage goes from 8" to 7". Is the new growth going to relax or is J having hyper tight curls now that they aren't crispy dry?

My guess would be the latter....

[MandyBeth]

Yay. Well, she's a 3c for sure. Yes, I really did at one point think her hair was 2c/3a. Cut off 4" of dry curls, back to waist. Not sure what that will end up being.

[GRU]

Yay. Well, she's a 3c for sure. Yes, I really did at one point think her hair was 2c/3a. Cut off 4" of dry curls, back to waist. Not sure what that will end up being.

Just amazing the difference that CO-washing and such can make, isn't it?

[jaine]

Look at the lovely curly hair in the Brave trailer!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4EZULqhP2E&feature=relmfu

[proo]

Sure looks like our very own GRU!

[arabicfrizz]

I'm new to this forum and have curly/wavy hair as well. :) I look forward to learning about similar others' haircare routines.

[CurlyCap]

Oh, J's hair, the new 10" of growth shrinks to 2.5" dry. The ends, 12" of hair pulled straight curls up to 9". The high damage goes from 8" to 7". Is the new growth going to relax or is J having hyper tight curls now that they aren't crispy dry?

My guess is that it's going to end up tightly curly. It's easier (lol, sometimes) to release a curl than to get it to naturally form tighter curls.

HOWEVER, they two of you can play with how tight the spirals are but experimenting with different leave-ins. Heavy conditioners like Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition or oil under VO5 loosen my spirals. However, a light leave-in allows maximum bounce and tight curls. There are days when I don't want foot wide hair. It's a great trick to teach a little girl with curly hair. She'll thank you later!

[MandyBeth]

We use Biolage knock off daily, and her curls stay tight. Thankfully, the length keeps it from getting huge usually. Think we'd be better without daily washing, but she gets in everything and dirt is fun.

[curlsgalore]

I've been using my oil shampoo with fantastic results, a much simpler routine than I have ever gotten away with. I use a very little (tiny amounts), if any, product in my hair other than coconut or olive oil. I do co-wash or use shampoo bars in between. I've also been doing heavy oilings quite often, 1-2 times a week and my hair loves it!!! My hair has steadily and dramatically improved since starting the "curly girl method" and now oil shampoo. :)
Lots of beautiful curlie in this thread.

[CurlyCap]

So I just bought some Argan oil to see what the craze is all about.

I gotta say, I'm impressed.

Today instead of putting conditioner as a leave-in, I added 8 drops of Argan oil throughout my lengths. My hair is drying and is holding moisture incredibly well. No other oil I've tried is this effective. The definition is less because of the reduced amount of product, but it's still drying nicely and is not frizzy.

Just wanted to share in case any curlies were also curious about Argan as a leave-in.

[curlsgalore]

So I just bought some Argan oil to see what the craze is all about.

I gotta say, I'm impressed.

Today instead of putting conditioner as a leave-in, I added 8 drops of Argan oil throughout my lengths. My hair is drying and is holding moisture incredibly well. No other oil I've tried is this effective. The definition is less because of the reduced amount of product, but it's still drying nicely and is not frizzy.

Just wanted to share in case any curlies were also curious about Argan as a leave-in.

May I ask where you purchased it from?

[CurlyCap]

May I ask where you purchased it from?

I bought a small sample (0.5oz) from Whole Foods, but I found this link from the forum search (http://www.thesage.com/catalog/fullcat.html#section24) that offers a great size at a reasonable price, $26.

Also, Amazon has some great deals if I decide to keep using it.

[curlsgalore]

I bought a small sample (0.5oz) from Whole Foods, but I found this link from the forum search (http://www.thesage.com/catalog/fullcat.html#section24) that offers a great size at a reasonable price, $26.

Also, Amazon has some great deals if I decide to keep using it.

Thank you!

[Terra]

So I just bought some Argan oil to see what the craze is all about.

I gotta say, I'm impressed.

Today instead of putting conditioner as a leave-in, I added 8 drops of Argan oil throughout my lengths. My hair is drying and is holding moisture incredibly well. No other oil I've tried is this effective. The definition is less because of the reduced amount of product, but it's still drying nicely and is not frizzy.

Just wanted to share in case any curlies were also curious about Argan as a leave-in.
It was already on my shopping list, but now I'm keen on testing it.
Thanks for sharing! :)

[DaniVerde]

So I just bought some Argan oil to see what the craze is all about.

I gotta say, I'm impressed.

Today instead of putting conditioner as a leave-in, I added 8 drops of Argan oil throughout my lengths. My hair is drying and is holding moisture incredibly well. No other oil I've tried is this effective. The definition is less because of the reduced amount of product, but it's still drying nicely and is not frizzy.

Just wanted to share in case any curlies were also curious about Argan as a leave-in.

I love Argan oil, but I've never thought of using it as a leave-in...good tip, thank you! :)

[Envari]

I did my very first SMT last night and it was nothing but amazing!

However, as you can see on my profile info, I've characterized my hair as 2b/2c. After getting moisture boosts from heavy coconut oiling and now also the SMT, I'm beginning to think it might be more towards a 2c/3a or maybe even a straight 3a. Any curly opinions on the matter?

Hubby wasnt home to help with pics and the lightning isnt too good since it's all cludy and rainy here, but hopefully you can make out the details anyway. The hair dried overnight without any products in - it's a bit flat and/or frizzy in some areas due to me sleeping on it, but I didn't want to braid it since I wanted to see the natural structure without "fake wavies".

I still need to figure out how to get pictures to show directly in a post - the joy of being a noob around here - so you're only getting a link to the album :D Anyways - whats your opinion my fellow c/wurlies?

Edit: Pics (free Scary Curl included) added.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--ZaQpMfkxGQ/T2GlQ3MsmAI/AAAAAAAAAAw/FfzImBD7wPg/s512/iii.jpghttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yURgfug5dt0/T2GlRZcX26I/AAAAAAAAAA4/jUXMEp4FMyc/s512/II.jpghttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YIBFdthNogk/T2GlR2P8cFI/AAAAAAAAABA/Gsd88e0Uyi0/s396/iv.jpghttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tS46nQ6ls4w/T2GlTAl3GMI/AAAAAAAAABM/qgbQX4BohDA/s512/v.jpg

[Envari]

By the way. This forum is dangerous. I've got a whole list of stuff I need to go buy and try out - not to mention that I'm finally being described as full blown weird at home due to my mixing of conditioner and all sorts of edible stuff from the kitchen cabinets... :cool:

[DaniVerde]

By the way. This forum is dangerous. I've got a whole list of stuff I need to go buy and try out - not to mention that I'm finally being described as full blown weird at home due to my mixing of conditioner and all sorts of edible stuff from the kitchen cabinets... :cool:

Same here! I've gotten quite a few weird looks the past couple of days because all of the shampoo has disappeared from my side of the shower rack, and been replaced with conditioner and ACV. Just wait until my hair toys start arriving :D

[Envari]

Same here! I've gotten quite a few weird looks the past couple of days because all of the shampoo has disappeared from my side of the shower rack, and been replaced with conditioner and ACV. Just wait until my hair toys start arriving :D

I'll refer hubby to this thread if (when) he starts complaining about the AVG + shakerbottles at the side of the bathtub and me using his organic honey for my hair rather than his tea - "You ain't seen nothing yet!" :eyebrows:

[DaniVerde]

I'll refer hubby to this thread if (when) he starts complaining about the AVG + shakerbottles at the side of the bathtub and me using his organic honey for my hair rather than his tea - "You ain't seen nothing yet!" :eyebrows:

Just wait until he's recommending things to you and has become as interested in your hair as you are :p

[Envari]

Just wait until he's recommending things to you and has become as interested in your hair as you are :p

He'll cheer for anything that'll make me wear it down more often, so I think he's really going to like you guys in here :p

I have been straightening my hair quite a lot during the last few years since I just didnt seem able to get it under control. I'd really like to avoid the heat, so gaining control of the haystack is the first step towards letting it loose.

[DaniVerde]

I have been straightening my hair quite a lot during the last few years since I just didnt seem able to get it under control. I'd really like to avoid the heat, so gaining control of the haystack is the first step towards letting it loose.

Same here...and growing out my damage :( But getting the haystack under control hasn't been too challenging yet. Different and slightly time consuming, but I'm hoping for a big payoff! :cheese:

[Envari]

Same here...and growing out my damage :( But getting the haystack under control hasn't been too challenging yet. Different and slightly time consuming, but I'm hoping for a big payoff! :cheese:
Apart from the heat my hair's virgin. That being said I have been stingy with moisture over the years, so my hair is extremely dry. I know you can only go so far on repairing....

....but tbh - after finding LHC my hopes ARE going up :cheer::wethree::cheer:

[CurlyCap]

By the way. This forum is dangerous. I've got a whole list of stuff I need to go buy and try out - not to mention that I'm finally being described as full blown weird at home due to my mixing of conditioner and all sorts of edible stuff from the kitchen cabinets... :cool:

No worries.

Most of my friends have said that my bathroom looks like a weird kitchen.

Then they ask me how I do my hair. ;)

[curlsgalore]

By the way. This forum is dangerous. I've got a whole list of stuff I need to go buy and try out - not to mention that I'm finally being described as full blown weird at home due to my mixing of conditioner and all sorts of edible stuff from the kitchen cabinets... :cool:

You're not the only one! :D

[CurlyCap]

Update:

The argan oil set into a beautiful head of curls....but they were only moisturized/sealed for about 4hrs.

After that, my hair started to feel like I didn't have anything in it at all. Dry and prickly....I ended up spraying it down with water+conditioner and just having a slightly frizzy day.

I still give Argan kudos because it sealed and acted as a leave in SO MUCH better than any other oil I've tried, but I don't think it can stand alone in my hair.

I am thinking about adding it to my light conditioners to give them more UMPH without a lot of extra weight.... :stirpot:

[Covet]

Kinda late to be checking in but hi, I'm curly too :) I usually twist each of my curls to get them really defined and frizz free but naturally I have a whole bunch of differing types of curls on my head!

[curlsgalore]

Kinda late to be checking in but hi, I'm curly too :) I usually twist each of my curls to get them really defined and frizz free but naturally I have a whole bunch of differing types of curls on my head!

Hi, and welcome!! :waving:

[Debra83]

GF3N and a little gel, airdried...going to see if I can get to waist without straightening by the end of the year.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6238&pictureid=129075

[DaniVerde]

Hi, I'm just dropping in to share my joy with CHEESE!!! :cheese:

My curls are coming back! More and more every day!! The canopy is starting to curl again as well...there's still a ways to go, and damage to trim off, but... :cheese: :cheese:

[Covet]

Curlies, how do you oil your hair? My hair does not react well to pressing the hair with the hands and sliding them down the hair. Any advice?

[curlsgalore]

Curlies, how do you oil your hair? My hair does not react well to pressing the hair with the hands and sliding them down the hair. Any advice?

Sometimes I emulsify the oil in my hands and gently scrunch it in on dry hair..otherwise on wet hair, I smooth it in like you mentioned.

[turtlelover]

I've gotten some nicer curls lately mixing a bit of oil w/ some aloe gel. It seems to help distribute it more evenly throughout my hair.

[Covet]

Sometimes I emulsify the oil in my hands and gently scrunch it in on dry hair..otherwise on wet hair, I smooth it in like you mentioned.


I've gotten some nicer curls lately mixing a bit of oil w/ some aloe gel. It seems to help distribute it more evenly throughout my hair.

Thanks! I just saw heidi w's video on YouTube and she suggested curlies use a mister bottle of oil and something else (like water a guess) to dilute it and spray on wet curls. I think this might work well for me because touching my hair causes it to frizz insanely :(

[PinkyCat]

Here's my latest - 33".

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=7960&pictureid=129345

[GRU]

For hair that I'm going to wear down, I add a few drops of oil to my leave-in conditioner and add them both at the same time.

For hair I'm going to braid or wear up, it doesn't matter how I apply it, so I just oil up my hands, drag through, then brush and style as desired.

I don't oil dry hair that I'm wanting to wear down and curly.

[GRU]

Here's my latest - 33".

<snip>

WOAH, PC! Lookin' good, woman! :thumbsup:

I'm so jealous of you gals whose hair goes DOWN your back, instead of ACROSS your back. Even without layers, even with all my length now, my hair gets so dang wide across!

[curlsgalore]

Here's my latest - 33".

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=7960&pictureid=129345

Gorgeous!! Please share your routine and gave products, please. Thanks! :)

[curlyclare]

Oh, I'm getting so excited seeing long curly hair! Mine is almost BSL when stretched but just below shoulders curly. I have never gotten it longer than this so I pray this is not my term. anyway it gives me hope to see that curlys can get really long, too!

[PinkyCat]

Gorgeous!! Please share your routine and gave products, please. Thanks! :)

I CO with Suave & V05. Clarify when needed with Giovanni 50/50 Moisture/Clarifying shampoo. I use L'Oreal Professionals Mega Moisture condish occaisionally (amodimethicone). My leave-in consists of V05 mixed with a bit of EVOO (from ears down), Mixed Silk leave-in cream (amodimethicone), and a large grape-sized glob of coconut oil on the ends. Scrunch the curls & air dry. :)

[curlsgalore]

I CO with Suave & V05. Clarify when needed with Giovanni 50/50 Moisture/Clarifying shampoo. I use L'Oreal Professionals Mega Moisture condish occaisionally (amodimethicone). My leave-in consists of V05 mixed with a bit of EVOO (from ears down), Mixed Silk leave-in cream (amodimethicone), and a large grape-sized glob of coconut oil on the ends. Scrunch the curls & air dry. :)

Thank you!

[ladyfitzgerald]

Am I too late to join the group? I'm a curly!!

[Mountaingrrl]

Am I too late to join the group? I'm a curly!!

There's always room for another curly!:cheese:

[MandyBeth]

WOAH, PC! Lookin' good, woman! :thumbsup:

I'm so jealous of you gals whose hair goes DOWN your back, instead of ACROSS your back. Even without layers, even with all my length now, my hair gets so dang wide across!

You mean the stuck a fork in an outlet look? There's a reason J does not run around with loose hair. It's adorable, this mass of dark ringlets with purple ends. It's great when it's loose and full and fluffy.

It's just not exactly safe for a child monkey hybrid to run around with that hair not braided into submission.

[MandyBeth]

I'll refer hubby to this thread if (when) he starts complaining about the AVG + shakerbottles at the side of the bathtub and me using his organic honey for my hair rather than his tea - "You ain't seen nothing yet!" :eyebrows:

Just wait until hubby asks in the store "Do we need the coconut oil to cook with or the stuff you put in hair?" You will get very strange looks then.

It's normal to have a fridge in the bathroom. It's only a mini fridge but it was $2 at a garage sale because the freezer is busted. So thus it holds bathroom hair supplies.

[GRU]

You mean the stuck a fork in an outlet look?

Yep, that's it exactly!

I wonder, once my old damage has been trimmed and I actually start gaining length again, if my hair will become so wide that it starts to curl around my body and start attacking the front of me?

[MandyBeth]

Yeah, J's hair is just all over loose. The rules are she or her hair has to be quiet and behave. Since 9 times out of 10, that's not her, her hair has to. Thus, it's loose for church, then braided, she changes and goes back to being a kid.

I keep trying to get her to dye the ends something other than purple. I'm doing the dye, it's MP. Yet purple and only purple. It's actually two purples now, the darker one to her shoulder underneath the canopy, then a lighter purple to mid back on the canopy. The damage really fried her color so the dye shows pretty well.

No shampoo recently. She's not getting build up, I don't think. Only the ends get Velcro prone every 3 months or so. Trim them off, no problems. I should work on getting her ok with shampoo, but why bother.

Also known as I am a total slacker in the parenting department.

[GRU]

No shampoo recently. She's not getting build up, I don't think. Only the ends get Velcro prone every 3 months or so. Trim them off, no problems. I should work on getting her ok with shampoo, but why bother.

Also known as I am a total slacker in the parenting department.

Seriously, though... why bother? She doesn't need shampoo. It would be like trying to force her to eat something she really really hated -- as long as she eats other foods, why bother?

And I hear you on the Velcro ends thing -- I figure I have about another year of growing out my pre-LHC damaged hair, and then I'll be able to start adding length. I'm curious to see if my fairy knot incidence rate will decrease when my icky ends are gone, or if it's a function of my curly-n-coarse hair that will always be with me.

[MandyBeth]

Yeah, she goes to bed early to get up early to wash her hair. I don't have to resort to sending the dogs in to slobbed on her to get up, unlike her brothers. So I am not messing around with what works.

[GRU]

You're lucky the dogs will go wake up the boys... if I send Romeo in to fetch my kid, I'll walk in five minutes later to find them both snoring away on the memory foam mattress....

[MandyBeth]

Oh, I'm MEAN. I tell the boys they have five minutes or I'm sending the dogs in. They still ignore me. I go to the door with at least four of the dogs and am egging the dogs on. Final 30 second warning, I open the door. Dogs happy dance in, drool on boys, boys get up. At least it's only the small dogs who jump on the beds. Liam got N first today then leapt over and got M. Liam was thrilled, his boys were up to see him! The other dogs look at him like "fool, have some dignity" but hey it worked.

J and CK usually are laughing their heads off at this. Wodan sits by me going "I am far too dignified to partake in this tomfoolery." Granted, Mr. Prissy and Regal Doberman has pink glitter nails right now. And a huge hot pink tulle flower on his black crystal covered collar. This outfit lead to CK announcing "I am not the one turning the dog gay, I have nothing to do with this!"

[MandyBeth]

So what's a cute style for a certain princess who isn't sure if she wants her hair loose or not for court? Waist plus a bit dry, 3c curls.

Clothes are fine. Wodan has his attire picked. But hair we aren't sure.

[ladyfitzgerald]

Update:

The argan oil set into a beautiful head of curls....but they were only moisturized/sealed for about 4hrs.

After that, my hair started to feel like I didn't have anything in it at all. Dry and prickly....I ended up spraying it down with water+conditioner and just having a slightly frizzy day.

I still give Argan kudos because it sealed and acted as a leave in SO MUCH better than any other oil I've tried, but I don't think it can stand alone in my hair.

I am thinking about adding it to my light conditioners to give them more UMPH without a lot of extra weight.... :stirpot:


That is what happened to me! When i leave my hair down, I use a leave in that has argan oil in it and I check the mirror and my hair looks fine, I come home from work and I have a lion frizzy fro! Haha I'm used to it by now, only hard part is my ends feel dry.

[09robiha]

So what's a cute style for a certain princess who isn't sure if she wants her hair loose or not for court? Waist plus a bit dry, 3c curls.

Clothes are fine. Wodan has his attire picked. But hair we aren't sure.

I would say half up :) I wore this when i had to attend court a fair few years ago as a youngish child and it was ideal..not in my face so i wouldnt sit there an fiddle with it but down enough to be comforting and still make me feel like a princess

[MandyBeth]

I would say half up :) I wore this when i had to attend court a fair few years ago as a youngish child and it was ideal..not in my face so i wouldnt sit there an fiddle with it but down enough to be comforting and still make me feel like a princess

J doesn't tend to like half ups because they show her "naughty" curls that are damaged and don't do princess curls.

Leaning towards a cage braid Thursday, then just making a knotted ponytail bun deal Friday. Got butterfly clips that will be adorable on Friday if we do that.

Or may just let it be loose. Guaranteed her hair will be braided tight Sunday - Tuesday when she gets her birthday presents. Since the main one is a pony. Because princesses need ponies they can ride vs big draft horses or idiot minded TBs.

That laughing you hear is GRU since I'm a freaking sap.

[Quixii]

@MandyBeth - I'm a big fan of pulling the front sections back and connecting them somehow, then leaving the rest down. This way what would get in my face stays out of my face but the curls get to show themselves off in the back. For J, I would probably braid those sections and then braid them together.
Here are some variations of this that I've done: [1 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3902&pictureid=72704)] [2 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3902&pictureid=129874)] [3 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3902&pictureid=87402)] [4 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=3902&pictureid=128537)]
You could use thicker or thinner sections, depending on the look you want. :)

[MandyBeth]

Thanks Quixii! The last picture is what J wants for Thursday. Could you describe your prom hair that's shortened some how? J wants that for Saturday if possible. The knot deal is winning for Friday so she can wear the clips.

Yes Gru, I let her decide how she wants her hair.

[Quixii]

Thanks Quixii! The last picture is what J wants for Thursday. Could you describe your prom hair that's shortened some how? J wants that for Saturday if possible. The knot deal is winning for Friday so she can wear the clips.

Yes Gru, I let her decide how she wants her hair.
Well, I started with a fairly low ponytail (optional). Then I tied it all into a knot (takes out quite a bit of length). Then I flipped it upside down (or hung my head upside down so gravity would cause the same effect) and clipped it up with a bunch of clips. Then I righted myself, and spread the curls out a bit to hide the clips. That's pretty much it! :)

[MandyBeth]

Well, I started with a fairly low ponytail (optional). Then I tied it all into a knot (takes out quite a bit of length). Then I flipped it upside down (or hung my head upside down so gravity would cause the same effect) and clipped it up with a bunch of clips. Then I righted myself, and spread the curls out a bit to hide the clips. That's pretty much it! :)

That's workable, thanks!

She,s redoing the purple tonight plus a few pink streaks. Only the ends really show the color, but it's cute none the less.

J loves your princess hair also. She's wanting hair that behaves like yours, but she'll get there eventually.

[GRU]

Yes Gru, I let her decide how she wants her hair.

Hey, I figure that I get to relive my childhood vicariously through her, the way my childhood SHOULD have been. Long hair, gentle detangling, CO-washing, brotherly love, parental love, ponies and goggies.... this little princess is living my dream! ;)

[MandyBeth]

Hey, I figure that I get to relive my childhood vicariously through her, the way my childhood SHOULD have been. Long hair, gentle detangling, CO-washing, brotherly love, parental love, ponies and goggies.... this little princess is living my dream! ;)

Yeah, but she has to live with hubby and me, so perhaps not sane.

It is normal for an almost 7 year old to watch Rob Zombie videos, right?

And I might have made her a hooded T-shirt because they are cool, but the hoods are too small. Didn't we discuss this at the start of winter?

[GRU]

Everyone's eyes bugged out when they found out that we let the 12yo watch the movie "Goon" -- so don't ask me about the Rob Zombie stuff! :lol:

[MandyBeth]

Everyone's eyes bugged out when they found out that we let the 12yo watch the movie "Goon" -- so don't ask me about the Rob Zombie stuff! :lol:

She is not allowed to watch the movies he directed yet. But the music videos are fine to us. She watches most of the music DVDs we have, I think the only prohibited ones are Rammstein. Figure that doesn't need an explanation. But CK is going to that concert with us. He'll be 15, I was near the same age when I started following them.

[Quixii]

That's workable, thanks!

She,s redoing the purple tonight plus a few pink streaks. Only the ends really show the color, but it's cute none the less.

J loves your princess hair also. She's wanting hair that behaves like yours, but she'll get there eventually.
Aw, thanks. :) I hope J has a perfect princess birthday party.

[Tealpuffin]

Hey i am sorry i have not been on in a while. I am now straightening my hair a lot less than what i used to and i am now getting used to being a curly/wavy/whatever other hair texture my hair is :shrug:. i was just wondering how do you revive your curls in the morning because no matter whether i wear my hair up or down, my curls become deformed and i end up looking scruffy or like a poodle :P x

[jaine]

Hey i am sorry i have not been on in a while. I am now straightening my hair a lot less than what i used to and i am now getting used to being a curly/wavy/whatever other hair texture my hair is :shrug:. i was just wondering how do you revive your curls in the morning because no matter whether i wear my hair up or down, my curls become deformed and i end up looking scruffy or like a poodle :P x

I wondered the same thing too ... I admit I got fed up and started blow-drying my hair with a paddle brush, to make behave like look like 1c/2a instead of 2c/3a. I don't feel like being too precious with it...it's just hair and I'd rather not get it wet every single day for the rest of my life.

[EmilyOtter]

Hi all! I'm joining this thread because I'm trying to figure out how to best help my curls be curly, and not so sheep-doggy! :) I'm enjoying reading through everybody's routines, etc, but it's going to take me a long time to get through over 600 pages of this thread ;)

I'm trying new combinations for what works for my hair, and I love finding out what you all do to make your curls curly! So, hi! :D

[MandyBeth]

Aw, thanks. :) I hope J has a perfect princess birthday party.

The flip deal was adorable, thanks! Tomorrow is her birthday, but friend party Monday instead of on Easter. Tomorrow while we are at church, Marshie is coming home. He has a purple party hat to wear. Erm, who wants to place bets on when we will pry her away from Marshmellow?

SIL made her a Lock, Shock and Barrel cake for tomorrow, and is making a BRAVE cake for Monday.

As for how to get curls to behave - try conditioner only washes. Curly hair tends to be dry, Co washing helps. I have no idea on next day hair, sorry.

*pokes GRU to get her advice*

Don't ask how often I whine at her for help. I have straight to wavey hair that is happy with being messed with. My husband is a 4b/c but he wears locs exclusively. We had no fracking clue what we signed up for when we picked J and her brothers up on April 22nd last year. I still am 99% lost.

[Quixii]

The flip deal was adorable, thanks! Tomorrow is her birthday, but friend party Monday instead of on Easter. Tomorrow while we are at church, Marshie is coming home. He has a purple party hat to wear. Erm, who wants to place bets on when we will pry her away from Marshmellow?
Yay! I'm so glad it worked for her. :)
Aww, sounds so fun. I hope she has a fantastic birthday.
I have a feeling.. Well, depending on when you give him to her.. an hour and a half after sunset?


As for how to get curls to behave - try conditioner only washes. Curly hair tends to be dry, Co washing helps. I have no idea on next day hair, sorry.
I've oft seen recommended, and I can recommend myself, putting some water in a spray bottle and just spritzing and scrunching your hair to revive curls. Some people also like to mix some conditioner or aloe vera gel into the bottle.

[Hollyfire3]

Yay! I'm so glad it worked for her. :)
Aww, sounds so fun. I hope she has a fantastic birthday.
I have a feeling.. Well, depending on when you give him to her.. an hour and a half after sunset?


I've oft seen recommended, and I can recommend myself, putting some water in a spray bottle and just spritzing and scrunching your hair to revive curls. Some people also like to mix some conditioner or aloe vera gel into the bottle.


Lol on the last part, i JUST did this, twice today with two different moisture conditioners aloe and a bit of water to make it sprayable. apparently, coconut oil shampoo that i mixed up locked more protein in my hair then it likes, i ended up with straight (nearly 1b hair) flat hair, just, yuck (goes to show you the heck i deal with by changeing ONE simple aspect, stupid hair!) so i doused my hair in coconut oil by itself, bad idea, i know, but it was late, i was desperate, so oil headed to bed i went. This morning, i dug up some good shampoo i used to use before i started really experimenting months ago then used tresseme ultimate moisture conditioner, air dryed with my mousse and some aloe gel (alright, ALOT of aloe gel scrunched in) then hours later (my hair now MAYBE 2a after the moisture conditioner i used....oh you stupid stupid hair) mixed aloe gel some tresseme and a bit of water in the spray bottle and doused my hair in it, scrunched and let dry, the curls i scrunched in that were beginign to look normal fell but my hair felt better (i guess it needs more moisture...) so i mixed some MORE conditoner (not tresseme as i'm running low and must save it for wash days) that happened to be the cvs equivalent to Loreal everfure moisture conditioner and then added more aloe and thinned with water, i put it all over my head once again and am sitting with a microfiber towel on my head, plopping my curls to see if i can get them to set for Easter tommrow...wish me luck! Glad to hear others are finding routines that work.:)

[Tealpuffin]

Thank you guys i shall have a try at that :)

Aww MandyBeth that is so cute! I am sure you have anwill learn a lot as many of us on here have x

[GRU]

*pokes GRU to get her advice*


OUCH! MY EYE!!!! ;)


My best advice for curly hair is CO-washing, rinsing, then leaving in conditioner. I have no recommendations on second-day curls because I've never been able to revive mine without wetting them again. I've tried the spray/mist thing, but it ends up taking more time than just wetting my hair under the shower.

[Tealpuffin]

Ok thank you Gru I shall stick to my wear up in a top knot the day after routine :P x

[MandyBeth]

OUCH! MY EYE!!!! ;)


My best advice for curly hair is CO-washing, rinsing, then leaving in conditioner. I have no recommendations on second-day curls because I've never been able to revive mine without wetting them again. I've tried the spray/mist thing, but it ends up taking more time than just wetting my hair under the shower.

I could whap you in the knee with my crutches. Figured poking was nicer.

Is the second day issue from damage or tight curl related issue? Part of me thinks damage, but the other part says even the less damaged length riots if it's messed with dry, so got me.

Ok, driving home now, so Marshmellow will be soon seen. See ya!

[Envari]

Just wait until hubby asks in the store "Do we need the coconut oil to cook with or the stuff you put in hair?" You will get very strange looks then.

It's normal to have a fridge in the bathroom. It's only a mini fridge but it was $2 at a garage sale because the freezer is busted. So thus it holds bathroom hair supplies.

Heehee!

Must convince hubby that a fridge right next to the bathtub is perfectly normal :eyebrows:

[Envari]

I wondered the same thing too ... I admit I got fed up and started blow-drying my hair with a paddle brush, to make behave like look like 1c/2a instead of 2c/3a. I don't feel like being too precious with it...it's just hair and I'd rather not get it wet every single day for the rest of my life.

For me braiding works really well but sounds like you tried that with no luk already?

[Hollyfire3]

Heehee!

Must convince hubby that a fridge right next to the bathtub is perfectly normal :eyebrows:


LOL!!!!! I want a mini fridge in my bathroom! I already get strange looks when mixing concotions for my hair, better hope they work or the family gives me the I told you so....lol.
A mini fridge in the bathroom IS normal NOT to worry!:)

[Covet]

Hey i am sorry i have not been on in a while. I am now straightening my hair a lot less than what i used to and i am now getting used to being a curly/wavy/whatever other hair texture my hair is :shrug:. i was just wondering how do you revive your curls in the morning because no matter whether i wear my hair up or down, my curls become deformed and i end up looking scruffy or like a poodle :P x

Some people dampen their hands with water and a little conditioner (or curl creme) and rake it through their hair to refresh it, or I suppose you could use a mister bottle instead. I don't bother because it doesn't do anything for my hair :( but you could try it.

[GRU]

Is the second day issue from damage or tight curl related issue? Part of me thinks damage, but the other part says even the less damaged length riots if it's messed with dry, so got me.

For me, the issue of "no such thing as second day curls" is because of the curl pattern itself. I think it isn't such a big deal for wavy/wurly folks, because many of the wurly folks can brush or comb and still have wurls, or their wurls will rejuvenate with just getting "damp" instead of getting soaking wet.

But for actual 3-sized curls (either S-shaped or spiral-style), any type of manipulation (even just sleeping on it) results in separating strands from the clumps, which means BIG FRIZZ and wonky-shaped curls (some curls might still be tight and even, but others are grossly misshapen). And this doesn't even take into account the mats that have developed over the course of the previous 24 hours.

There is no way to get my curl pattern back into clumps other than wetting the hair and re-clumping and re-drying. Thinner/finer hair can probably achieve this effect with a few spritzes from a spray bottle, but my thick/coarse hair would require literally dozens and dozens of spritzes to wet it enough to be able to re-clump, and at that point it's just faster and easier to pop my head under the spray when I'm taking my shower.

So it's definitely worth TRYING the spritz-and-scrunch method -- it does work for some folks! But if it doesn't work for your hair, you're definitely not the only one in that boat, either!

[Tealpuffin]

Thank You Gru and Covet i shall try the spritz-and-scrunch method tomorrow and see if it works but if not it is no problem, i will continue with my current technique.

I find that it is hard with my hair because the layers underneath are fairly tight curls but as you go further up my head the less curly it gets and the waves and curls are very irregular, creating a lot of messy hair. it probably does not help that my ends are currently quite damaged (due to straightening) but i have always had the same problem.

[MandyBeth]

Yeah, I braided J's hair when we got home. They are fuzzy and messy. Just can't mess with her curls dry. Move them from a neighbor, they throw a tantrum and refuse to live by their new neighbor.

Pried her away from Marsh, cleaned her up, soaked her curls in a ton of conditioner and rebraided them. So now party is over, she's back out riding Marsh finally now while Ty supervises. Marsh has pretty braids also that might have purple ribbon in them. And sparkly hooves. Wodan also has pretty glitter nails and collar in purple. Mr Regal Doberman is not avoiding the princess treatment.

[Hollyfire3]

For me, the issue of "no such thing as second day curls" is because of the curl pattern itself. I think it isn't such a big deal for wavy/wurly folks, because many of the wurly folks can brush or comb and still have wurls, or their wurls will rejuvenate with just getting "damp" instead of getting soaking wet.

But for actual 3-sized curls (either S-shaped or spiral-style), any type of manipulation (even just sleeping on it) results in separating strands from the clumps, which means BIG FRIZZ and wonky-shaped curls (some curls might still be tight and even, but others are grossly misshapen). And this doesn't even take into account the mats that have developed over the course of the previous 24 hours.

There is no way to get my curl pattern back into clumps other than wetting the hair and re-clumping and re-drying. Thinner/finer hair can probably achieve this effect with a few spritzes from a spray bottle, but my thick/coarse hair would require literally dozens and dozens of spritzes to wet it enough to be able to re-clump, and at that point it's just faster and easier to pop my head under the spray when I'm taking my shower.

So it's definitely worth TRYING the spritz-and-scrunch method -- it does work for some folks! But if it doesn't work for your hair, you're definitely not the only one in that boat, either!

Luckily, me wurls can be rejuvinated by being lightly dampened, if I had to get my hair any more wet to rejuvinate the wurls, i would be better off just wetting it again as you said, I use nearly half a bottle just to dampen it, to wet it with the squirt bottle, it would be ridiculous lol.

[CurlyCap]

For me, the issue of "no such thing as second day curls" is because of the curl pattern itself. I think it isn't such a big deal for wavy/wurly folks, because many of the wurly folks can brush or comb and still have wurls, or their wurls will rejuvenate with just getting "damp" instead of getting soaking wet.

But for actual 3-sized curls (either S-shaped or spiral-style), any type of manipulation (even just sleeping on it) results in separating strands from the clumps, which means BIG FRIZZ and wonky-shaped curls (some curls might still be tight and even, but others are grossly misshapen). And this doesn't even take into account the mats that have developed over the course of the previous 24 hours.

There is no way to get my curl pattern back into clumps other than wetting the hair and re-clumping and re-drying. Thinner/finer hair can probably achieve this effect with a few spritzes from a spray bottle, but my thick/coarse hair would require literally dozens and dozens of spritzes to wet it enough to be able to re-clump, and at that point it's just faster and easier to pop my head under the spray when I'm taking my shower.

So it's definitely worth TRYING the spritz-and-scrunch method -- it does work for some folks! But if it doesn't work for your hair, you're definitely not the only one in that boat, either!

This? This is gospel.

So many of my friends ask why I co-wash every night, and I'm usually too tired to explain how insane my hair would look by the second day. If they don't have a friend or family member with curls and already understand, nothing short of a bad hair day for me would make it clear.

Add to that the idea that sometimes even the perfect and most tried-and-true haircare routine results in ???? hair days. That's a concept non-curlies just can't seem to grasp.

[GRU]

Add to that the idea that sometimes even the perfect and most tried-and-true haircare routine results in ???? hair days. That's a concept non-curlies just can't seem to grasp.

If I had a picture-a-day during elementary school, they might start to understand this concept. My mom kept my hair boy-short, and one day I'd have a "wing" on my left ear with the rest of it straight, the next day the left ear part would be straight and there'd be a "wing" on the right ear, yada yada yada. I never once had a "good hair day" back in those days, because there was always SOMEthing foofing out in a direction it wasn't supposed to be! :rolleyes:

Curly hair flat-out has a mind of its own, and a devilishly wicked sense of humor to boot. It's moodier than a 13yo girl with PMS, I swear to goodness! :lol:

[jaine]

My curls are driving me nuts. I wish I could flip a switch that makes me magically grow 2a hair instead of 2c/3a.

Option 1 - Blow-dry my hair straight-ish with cones, every 3-4 days for the rest of my life.
Option 2 - Henna - for the rest of my life. Love the straightening effect - not so fond of the orange glow.
Option 3 - Pixie. Straighten hair perfectly with hard-hold gel.

Bleh. I don't really like any of these options.

[MandyBeth]

This? This is gospel.

So many of my friends ask why I co-wash every night, and I'm usually too tired to explain how insane my hair would look by the second day. If they don't have a friend or family member with curls and already understand, nothing short of a bad hair day for me would make it clear.

Add to that the idea that sometimes even the perfect and most tried-and-true haircare routine results in ???? hair days. That's a concept non-curlies just can't seem to grasp.

J almost always gets her hair put up for school, safer that way. But there are days when the only thing the curls agree marginally to is an English braid with a pretty major tassel. That's usually when she wants to try straight hair again. Which annoys her as it's suddenly always in the way. The fun of hair that is really past her rear but the curls sprong up to waist.

[Copasetic]

My curls are driving me nuts. I wish I could flip a switch that makes me magically grow 2a hair instead of 2c/3a.

Option 1 - Blow-dry my hair straight-ish with cones, every 3-4 days for the rest of my life.
Option 2 - Henna - for the rest of my life. Love the straightening effect - not so fond of the orange glow.
Option 3 - Pixie. Straighten hair perfectly with hard-hold gel.

Bleh. I don't really like any of these options.

Why are they driving you nuts? Is it a specific problem you're having?

[GRU]

My curls are driving me nuts. I wish I could flip a switch that makes me magically grow 2a hair instead of 2c/3a.

Option 1 - Blow-dry my hair straight-ish with cones, every 3-4 days for the rest of my life.
Option 2 - Henna - for the rest of my life. Love the straightening effect - not so fond of the orange glow.
Option 3 - Pixie. Straighten hair perfectly with hard-hold gel.

Bleh. I don't really like any of these options.


How about "wrapping" instead of blow-drying?

Have you tried cassia to see if it straightens like henna? (you're lucky -- my hair gets CURLIER after henna! :rolleyes:)

Have you tried working WITH your waves instead of against them? What are you trying to accomplish?

[jaine]

I really want to stretch washes (washing it every 4th day would be ideal) and be able to brush it daily, because my scalp gets really itchy and uncomfortable if I can't brush it.

The blow-dry + silicone thing is working for now, I suppose ... except that my hair looks very staticky, frizzy, puffy, and dull for the first 36 hours after I wash it and blow-dry it. Then it starts to look nice on the 2nd day and I have shiny, well-behaved, brushable, zero-effort hair for 3 days until I wash it again. I'm new to blow-drying and cones so I'm not sure how to get rid of the puff and static on the first day.

ETA: I did try cassia. No straightening effect, sadly. :(
I don't want to do Curly Girl method because that would require wetting my hair every day - way too much effort for me.

[MandyBeth]

My curls are driving me nuts. I wish I could flip a switch that makes me magically grow 2a hair instead of 2c/3a.

Option 1 - Blow-dry my hair straight-ish with cones, every 3-4 days for the rest of my life.
Option 2 - Henna - for the rest of my life. Love the straightening effect - not so fond of the orange glow.
Option 3 - Pixie. Straighten hair perfectly with hard-hold gel.

Bleh. I don't really like any of these options.

Wanna swap hair? This 1c/2a mess is annoying. Some days it wants to be 1a and do nothing. Some days it wants to try to be 2c almost and be out of control.

I'd rather always have the out of control, at least it'd be consistent.

Henna only straightened my hair by drying it badly and the keratin bonding freaked out my protein hating hair.

[CurlyCap]

If I had a picture-a-day during elementary school, they might start to understand this concept. My mom kept my hair boy-short, and one day I'd have a "wing" on my left ear with the rest of it straight, the next day the left ear part would be straight and there'd be a "wing" on the right ear, yada yada yada.

My hair is currently doing this thing where all of it wants to curl up to my ears except for one always random section that trails itself to my shoulder blade because it's didn't happen to curl.

It makes me look like I don't know what a brush is or how adults should look like for work. ::headdesk::

[C.H.]

My hair is currently doing this thing where all of it wants to curl up to my ears except for one always random section that trails itself to my shoulder blade because it's didn't happen to curl.

It makes me look like I don't know what a brush is or how adults should look like for work. ::headdesk::

Oh, I hate that when some pieces just fall at a totally different length than the others because they just aren't feeling the whole "curly" thing that day. It looks hella raggedy no matter what you do.

[GRU]

I really want to stretch washes (washing it every 4th day would be ideal) and be able to brush it daily, because my scalp gets really itchy and uncomfortable if I can't brush it.


How about oil?

Oil drags out some of my curl. Oil + gel (even just AVG, which mixes well with oil for me) + wrapping to dry should take the curl out of it pretty well, and you can still brush it at will...

[Shepherdess]

I enjoy my curls, although I usually braid my hair to keep it from getting too curly and in the way.

[CurlyCap]

My hair is losing its mind. It's curling funky, my scalp is ANGRY and I just want to brush the living daylights out of it, and my haircut has no discernible sane shape.

At least my length can easily be put into a bun again, but....dude.

[Quixii]

My hair's just driving me crazy lately. Not because of the curls, I think. Just my hair in general. I am so, so, SO glad that it's long enough that I can put it in a variety of buns. I just want it off my back and off my neck.
Today I put it in a pretzel bun with the curly ends hanging out, and it looks really really cute. :D I got a couple compliments, too.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Is there a name for this - twisting sections before braiding ?

Been experimenting with twisting each section - then braiding wet / damp for overnight in an effort to smooth and calm some of the volume. So far so good. I will try and post pics - the results have been very favorable.

I got some of the benefits of twisting (smoother hair and spiral curls ) and the ease of braids along with some of the ripping waves braids produce but not exactly the same as a normal braid. Kind of a spiral braid wave.

I actually braided angling back somewhat because I wanted to twist them into one unit behind my head, but it was too hard to do. I don't like two braids for sleeping because they end up under your face or getting caught under your armpits or something. So I braided stretched towards the back a bit - and loosely at the scalp and they were easy to fling over the pillow and out of the way.

[jaine]

How about oil?

Oil drags out some of my curl. Oil + gel (even just AVG, which mixes well with oil for me) + wrapping to dry should take the curl out of it pretty well, and you can still brush it at will...

I figured it out...yesterday I blow-dried with my usual silicone lotion as a base coat but I added medium hold gel on top of that (concentrating on my roots around my hairline - that's where I got the most frizz earlier). I blow-dried on medium heat with my paddle brushes...no frizz!!!!! Hooray. So I'm happy for now. It looks like 2b around my face and 2a everywhere else after I blow-dry it, which is nice and manageable but still wavy enough to feel like "me."

[Sunshineliz]

I have a question for the curlies. I have some curls at the nape of my neck-- tight and spirally and it behaves quite differently from the rest of my hair. I was doing a very overdue S&D yesterday and I noticed that that part of my hair has TONS more splits than the rest of it. Also I've noticed that through better haircare, it seems to be getting much longer nowadays than it used to so it doesn't have as short of a terminal length as I thought.

Why does it seem so prone to damage? Is curly hair more fragile? Is it because I still brush sometimes and that makes that part frizz badly and it tangles more when I do? Could it be something else?:confused:

[CurlyCap]

I have a question for the curlies. I have some curls at the nape of my neck-- tight and spirally and it behaves quite differently from the rest of my hair. I was doing a very overdue S&D yesterday and I noticed that that part of my hair has TONS more splits than the rest of it. Also I've noticed that through better haircare, it seems to be getting much longer nowadays than it used to so it doesn't have as short of a terminal length as I thought.

Why does it seem so prone to damage? Is curly hair more fragile? Is it because I still brush sometimes and that makes that part frizz badly and it tangles more when I do? Could it be something else?:confused:


The nape of my neck is some of the curliest hair I have, so I don't doubt that, if you have curls, that's where they would show up.

So my guess is that since most of your hair is straight, you're treating all of your hair like it's straight and that could be badness. Could you fingercomb your undersection and apply just a bit of conditioner at your nape? Because brushing through curls will not only cause damage from ripping the clumps apart, but then when the clumps separate, the curlies will grab onto all sorts of things causing more problems.

I'd experiment in pretending you have two types of hair on your head and treating them differently.

(I do this sorta. The top of my head has curls loose enough to occasionally brush if I want to, but I never brush the back because it would be a nightmare. Likewise, more conditioner needs to go on the underlayer than the top to keep things happy.)

[Theobroma]

Sunshineliz, I think curly hair is more fragile, and it's also more prone to dryness. My nape hair is curlier than the rest of my hair, just like yours, and before I started using oils, it was always the frizziest and driest and had a tendency to break off in half-inch long sections. Oiling helped that section of my hair more than anything else. (I'll be interested to see how it responds now that I'm back to a shampoo regimen, but so far the vinegar rinses and leave-in oils seem to be keeping everything nice and soft. We shall see!)

[earthnut]

I have wurly hair (love that word!). I have to battle frizz, but it's gotten a lot better as I've gotten more tolerant of oils in my hair and leaning more about hair care.

[longcurlygirl<3]

Yes, the curlier the hair the more fragile it is. And brushing it with a brush is bad because it rips the curls apart = splits, breakage etc

[GRU]

Yes, the curlier the hair the more fragile it is. And brushing it with a brush is bad because it rips the curls apart = splits, breakage etc

I have a problem with that.... it's not necessarily true, and I see it misstated here all the time.

A brush or a comb isn't more damaging to your hair than fingers or any other implement -- it's HOW you use them that makes the difference.

For me, a Tangle Teezer doesn't RIP my hair. It doesn't break my hair. It doesn't cause splits. Any other type of brush, however, can and does RIP through my knots, tearing/breaking off my ends and resulting in more split ends.

It does "ruin" the curl pattern in that each clump gets spread all apart, which makes for a frizzy un-clump rather than a curly clump. But it doesn't cause any damage to the curl pattern itself -- wet the hair and reclump it and you're back in business. The CLUMP has been "ruined" but the actual PATTERN of the curl remains within each strand's "memory".

I will typically CO-wash my hair and wear it down, then the next day or two I'll brush out the tangles and wear it up without washing it or wetting it. My hair is in the best shape it's ever been in for my 43 years on this planet.

[Quixii]

Is curly hair always more malleable?

I was just wondering, because I've long noticed that if I, say, twist my hair up into a cinnabun, it will hold that twisted shape, even when out of the bun, for a long time. I can easily get a curled "braid tassel" just by twisting it around my fingers a couple times, then it'll stay. Straight hair, in my experiences, seems more slippery and won't hold these "encouraged" shapes. Is that universally true?

[PinkyCat]

Is curly hair always more malleable?

I was just wondering, because I've long noticed that if I, say, twist my hair up into a cinnabun, it will hold that twisted shape, even when out of the bun, for a long time. I can easily get a curled "braid tassel" just by twisting it around my fingers a couple times, then it'll stay. Straight hair, in my experiences, seems more slippery and won't hold these "encouraged" shapes. Is that universally true?

Yes - my hair does this - I call it my "impressionable" hair. Even if I twist it up for five minutes, it morphs into bunwaves. If I put my sunglasses on top of my head for mere moments, I get sunglass dents.

My hair captures smells like nothing else also. If I happen to walk behind a car or truck thats running, my hair will smell like exhaust for the rest of the day! :o

[Corrina777]

I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to my fellow wurlies and curlies :D

[bunzfan]

Something i learnt today:o i have been cone free and product free for nearly 2 years but as my hair is pretty long i wondered if the reason my waves had all but gone was due to the weight of my hair, so today after washing my hair i applied a small amount of coney serum and a tiny amount of moose and bam waves instantly back i wonder if it was the serum or the styling product:shrug:

[CurlyCap]

I want to brush my hair! GARRRRRRR.

Every month around my period I get really horrible itchy, flakey scalp. I know it's completely hormonal, because, like my acne, it comes at a certain time, lasts a few days, and disappears completely.

I'm very happy with my hair growth, and I still want to grow it back out, but my hair has finally crossed that line where it's become impossible to brush like "normal" people do. It's only shoulder length now and there's already too much of it to brush. Furthermore, since I don't want to layer my hair until it's longer, I have ALL of my hair to work through. It's becoming a terrible frustrating mess.

Today I brushed the front 3rd of my hair (hairline back) by making small sections, detangling, and getting enough clearance to run a brush through and get at my scalp. It was SO satisfying. Of course, after that, my arms were exhausted and I gave up on doing the rest. I feel so silly because I know it's a hormonal craziness, like a craving for salt, but it's just as real and just a frustrating as wanting potato chips while you're PMSing and not having junk food anywhere to be seen. I just want to brush my scalp!

I know that super curly hair is easy to brush when wet, but when my is wet, my scalp is at least damp, and then I can't exfoliate all this grossness like I want to. Dry is the best (for this at least) and the whole situation makes me wish for when I was a kid and my mom would tackle this insanity on my head for me.

Does anyone else deal with this? Does anyone else at least sympathize? Yes, I know I'm ranting, but at times like this I can't help but look in the mirror and be like "Straight-haired people have no idea what this is like. No friggin' idea!"

http://i44.tinypic.com/1hxgg6.jpg
I only brushed the top/front of my hair. Where it's thinnest. All the curls around the rest of my head are intact and I just couldn't deal with it.

[Mountaingrrl]

CurlyCap, great photo! I can certainly sympathize. With my length and texture, it's not really practical to brush, and even long finger-combing sessions can be too much of a hassle. One thing that does help for me is getting at my scalp with tingly oils like peppermint. Worth a try if you haven't already ....

[sycamoreboutiqu]

CurlyCap - Do you have a tangle teaser ? That thing does a pretty good job of scritching, brushing the scalp - IF - you can get it all the way down to the scalp. I too have to section the hair just to get to the scalp.
This might work better for you than a traditional brush as it does't cause the volume - repeated stroking actually helps smooth the cuticle a bit.
Another thing to try - the Listerine rinse. I just did it two days ago for itchy, cruddy scalp and it felt great. There is a thread about it.

[Theobroma]

CurlyCap, my texture means I don't have to deal with this, but I most certainly do sympathise. Have you tried/considered scritching with a relatively fine-toothed comb? I do that when my scalp is in a flaky mood, and it's very effective. (Of course, it does mean that I have to wash my hair right afterwards to get the now-loose flakes out.)

[Kelikea]

I want to brush my hair! GARRRRRRR.

Every month around my period I get really horrible itchy, flakey scalp. I know it's completely hormonal, because, like my acne, it comes at a certain time, lasts a few days, and disappears completely.

I'm very happy with my hair growth, and I still want to grow it back out, but my hair has finally crossed that line where it's become impossible to brush like "normal" people do. It's only shoulder length now and there's already too much of it to brush. Furthermore, since I don't want to layer my hair until it's longer, I have ALL of my hair to work through. It's becoming a terrible frustrating mess.

Today I brushed the front 3rd of my hair (hairline back) by making small sections, detangling, and getting enough clearance to run a brush through and get at my scalp. It was SO satisfying. Of course, after that, my arms were exhausted and I gave up on doing the rest. I feel so silly because I know it's a hormonal craziness, like a craving for salt, but it's just as real and just a frustrating as wanting potato chips while you're PMSing and not having junk food anywhere to be seen. I just want to brush my scalp!

I know that super curly hair is easy to brush when wet, but when my is wet, my scalp is at least damp, and then I can't exfoliate all this grossness like I want to. Dry is the best (for this at least) and the whole situation makes me wish for when I was a kid and my mom would tackle this insanity on my head for me.

Does anyone else deal with this? Does anyone else at least sympathize? Yes, I know I'm ranting, but at times like this I can't help but look in the mirror and be like "Straight-haired people have no idea what this is like. No friggin' idea!"

http://i44.tinypic.com/1hxgg6.jpg
I only brushed the top/front of my hair. Where it's thinnest. All the curls around the rest of my head are intact and I just couldn't deal with it.


My texture is different from yours, but I have battled the itchy flakies for years! I can't remember if you do shampoo or CO, but I deal with this problem with Desert Essence Organics Lemon Tea Tree Oil shampoo, left on a few minutes, or do a BS/ACV rinse. Put a few drops of tea tree oil in the vinegar rinse and massage your scalp as you apply it. Then you can follow with your CO on the length. I don't scritch because it just creates more flakes. I hope this helps, it makes my scalp feel better:)

Oh, and I do the vinegar rinse on my face, too. It helps with the hormonal breakouts.

[Tealpuffin]

Welcome Corrina777 :)

For bad scalp I use baby shampoo and a hell of a lot of conditioner and it works an absolute treat for me.

Oh I had such a dumb moment today! I bought some new coney shampoo and conditioner as I have only been using baby shampoo due to eczema and I realized that I bought 2 bottles of Shampoo when it is the conditioner I mainly need! luckily there was a spare bottle in the cupboard :p

[MagicalMystery]

After cutting out all my damage from horrible bleaching last year, my curls are grown back in full swing and I recently stained them red...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/MagicalMysteryGirl/IMG170.jpg

[WickedWurlys]

Howdy Ladies & Gents,

Checking in after making it through all 642 pages of this thread, whew! I've been pretty much Classic for as long as I can remember and a few months ago I ended up w/a hair emergency. It got sooo tangly and I was losing hamsters daily.

Very scary, so I found NC.com/co washing/CG/Live Curly Live Free/Tightly Curly and LHC. I'm seeing alot of NCers on here too (Hi Corrina!).

I've been Cone & sulfate free since Feb and really like it, but have noticed something weird and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this:

After I cowash (V05) rinse, heavier co (tresseme) & use as leave in, seal w/coconut oil & AVG, then turbie plop (like GRU does), then use curls like us towels to scrunch remaining water then air dry.

Drying usually takes all day or all night, then it seems that when it dries it gets really thin almost unnaturally thin. I've never had thin hair and now it frizzes where I never had frizz before. It's strange. It also seems like it will only hold moisture for 1 day and then all the tangles are back full force.

My hair is EXACTLY like Quixii's, except I cut layers and bangs into it. So, Quixii if you ever want to see what you would look like w/layers & bangs just gimme a holler when I get more posts & can post pics, lol! Buy was wondering if anyone else has this?

[WickedWurlys]

@Magic,

Those curls are coming in nice!!!

[MandyBeth]

So some child has been running around in braids for 10 days. I think that made her curls fussy. They aren't dry or frizzy in the least, but her hair was a smidgen past waist then, now it's to the top of her jean pockets dry.

It's in the somewhere around fingertip wet, depends on the day as it never goes straight even when dripping wet.

[Quixii]

My hair is EXACTLY like Quixii's, except I cut layers and bangs into it. So, Quixii if you ever want to see what you would look like w/layers & bangs just gimme a holler when I get more posts & can post pics, lol! Buy was wondering if anyone else has this?
Oo, yes, I definitely want to see pictures when you are able! :D
Though I can't say I can relate to your problem. ^^;

[CurlyCap]

After cutting out all my damage from horrible bleaching last year, my curls are grown back in full swing and I recently stained them red...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/MagicalMysteryGirl/IMG170.jpg

You've had so much growth! Beautiful!

[WickedWurlys]

I ended up cutting 6" off when I had all the tangles & was losing hamsters that were turning into guinea pigs, but it's ok cuz it grows out pretty fast. Was hoping GRU or RCC might be able to gimme some insight to this.

Quixii, since our hair is so similar, do you mind sharing your current regime? I noticed your stats show F/M & wondered you noticed it getting thinner texture after you started CG, or was it like that to begin with? My new found frizz almost seems like some of the layers that have been somewhat tapered down and don't wanna join the others due to being much more curly after going CG, if that makes any sense, so I'm not sure what to do w/those to make them get into formation?

[Quixii]

@WickedWurlys - Well, I don't really do CG. I just shampoo my roots (no cones or sulfates), and condition everything (Tressemme naturals, also no cones), rinse it all out and let it dry. I'm lazy. :p If my curls are having a bad day, I just wear it up. I'm too lazy/don't see enough results if I go through all the leave-ins and careful drying methods and such.

[WickedWurlys]

Hmmm, did ya notice any change in your hair when you dropped the cones/sulfates? Sorry for all the questions!!

[Quixii]

Hmmm, did ya notice any change in your hair when you dropped the cones/sulfates? Sorry for all the questions!!
I think it's a little less frizzy and just kinda feels better. Maybe a little curlier. Honestly I made a bunch of changes at the same time and I'm not sure which was responsible for which result, but I liked it so I kept with it.
I don't mind questions. :)

[WickedWurlys]

Oh I'm so glad you don't mind sharing. I noticed a huge difference w/the cowashing & the no sulfate/cones. Just really made it alot more moisturized and it curled alot more too. I'm mixing the coconut oil w/the tresemme or the aloe to kinda seal in as much moisture as possible too, but by the next day it seems to lose alot.

Might be cuz I'm still pretty new into it and I'm hoping it gets better so I can go longer in between cowashes. And maybe the fineness (is that a word?) is because the cuticle is laying flatter now but not sure. Still trying to get this mop figured out and like you I made so many changes all at once that I'm not sure.

How's your tangles do? Oh and how do ya like where those wicked long wurlies end up 1/2 the time, lol. If ya know what I mean...DH hates it, hee hee

[Quixii]

Oh I'm so glad you don't mind sharing. I noticed a huge difference w/the cowashing & the no sulfate/cones. Just really made it alot more moisturized and it curled alot more too. I'm mixing the coconut oil w/the tresemme or the aloe to kinda seal in as much moisture as possible too, but by the next day it seems to lose alot.

Might be cuz I'm still pretty new into it and I'm hoping it gets better so I can go longer in between cowashes. And maybe the fineness (is that a word?) is because the cuticle is laying flatter now but not sure. Still trying to get this mop figured out and like you I made so many changes all at once that I'm not sure.

How's your tangles do? Oh and how do ya like where those wicked long wurlies end up 1/2 the time, lol. If ya know what I mean...DH hates it, hee hee
Yeah, my big change was brushing before/in the shower, and not after. That definitely helped my hair a lot. :lol: Goodbye frizzy, misbehaving waves and hello curls that I always wanted and should have always been there! I switched my shampoo and conditioner habits not long after that, so I didn't get much of a chance to see how my hair curled/behaved really with cones and such. I think all the changes were really for the better, though.

Hmm, maybe. It would really help to see a picture, if you get a chance. :)
Is it an all-over thinness, or just at the ends, or..?

Oh yeah. :p I'm constantly pulling hairs out. DBF has just been rather bemused as to it all.

[CurlyCap]

@WickedWurlys - Well, I don't really do CG. I just shampoo my roots (no cones or sulfates), and condition everything (Tressemme naturals, also no cones), rinse it all out and let it dry. I'm lazy. :p If my curls are having a bad day, I just wear it up. I'm too lazy/don't see enough results if I go through all the leave-ins and careful drying methods and such.


How do you get shampoo on just your scalp? My hair sucks up all moisture around it so it seems impossible to isolate shampoo to just one part of my head. And wouldn't rinsing get shampoo on the length anyway?

Just trying to learn....

[WickedWurlys]

Yeah, my big change was brushing before/in the shower, and not after. That definitely helped my hair a lot. :lol: Goodbye frizzy, misbehaving waves and hello curls that I always wanted and should have always been there! I switched my shampoo and conditioner habits not long after that, so I didn't get much of a chance to see how my hair curled/behaved really with cones and such. I think all the changes were really for the better, though.

Hmm, maybe. It would really help to see a picture, if you get a chance. :)
Is it an all-over thinness, or just at the ends, or..?

Oh yeah. :p I'm constantly pulling hairs out. DBF has just been rather bemused as to it all.

I never brushed outside the shower w/tons of conditioner on it b/c it fluffed do badly, so I slways tell people there are still mosquitos in there from last year :agree:

I knew you would know what I was talking about on those attack hairs, lololol

The thinness seems to all over. I'll see if I can figure out some photos later today, but I'm very technologically challenged, so we'll see. Also, I think I am gonna try mousse today and see if that gets me a little thickness?

[WickedWurlys]

How do you get shampoo on just your scalp? My hair sucks up all moisture around it so it seems impossible to isolate shampoo to just one part of my head. And wouldn't rinsing get shampoo on the length anyway?

Just trying to learn....

@Curlycap, you can just put the poo on each of your fingertips and massage the scalp, then apply co to your length -or- you can dilute the poo in a cup/container or dye applicator bottle so it is able to get to your scalp better and then apply co to your length.

HTH

[MagicalMystery]

@Magic,

Those curls are coming in nice!!!

Thanks, WickedWurlys and CurlyCap! :)


As much as I'm excited for the summer months, my hair is not looking forward to the humidity... which leads to frizz. I'm hoping the avocado oil helps.

[Sunshineliz]

The nape of my neck is some of the curliest hair I have, so I don't doubt that, if you have curls, that's where they would show up.

So my guess is that since most of your hair is straight, you're treating all of your hair like it's straight and that could be badness. Could you fingercomb your undersection and apply just a bit of conditioner at your nape? Because brushing through curls will not only cause damage from ripping the clumps apart, but then when the clumps separate, the curlies will grab onto all sorts of things causing more problems.

I'd experiment in pretending you have two types of hair on your head and treating them differently.

(I do this sorta. The top of my head has curls loose enough to occasionally brush if I want to, but I never brush the back because it would be a nightmare. Likewise, more conditioner needs to go on the underlayer than the top to keep things happy.)


Sunshineliz, I think curly hair is more fragile, and it's also more prone to dryness. My nape hair is curlier than the rest of my hair, just like yours, and before I started using oils, it was always the frizziest and driest and had a tendency to break off in half-inch long sections. Oiling helped that section of my hair more than anything else. (I'll be interested to see how it responds now that I'm back to a shampoo regimen, but so far the vinegar rinses and leave-in oils seem to be keeping everything nice and soft. We shall see!)


Yes, the curlier the hair the more fragile it is. And brushing it with a brush is bad because it rips the curls apart = splits, breakage etc


I have a problem with that.... it's not necessarily true, and I see it misstated here all the time.

A brush or a comb isn't more damaging to your hair than fingers or any other implement -- it's HOW you use them that makes the difference.

For me, a Tangle Teezer doesn't RIP my hair. It doesn't break my hair. It doesn't cause splits. Any other type of brush, however, can and does RIP through my knots, tearing/breaking off my ends and resulting in more split ends.

It does "ruin" the curl pattern in that each clump gets spread all apart, which makes for a frizzy un-clump rather than a curly clump. But it doesn't cause any damage to the curl pattern itself -- wet the hair and reclump it and you're back in business. The CLUMP has been "ruined" but the actual PATTERN of the curl remains within each strand's "memory".

I will typically CO-wash my hair and wear it down, then the next day or two I'll brush out the tangles and wear it up without washing it or wetting it. My hair is in the best shape it's ever been in for my 43 years on this planet.

I just got back to the thread, so thanks for the answers! I guess I probably have to be more careful with the nape hairs as they definitely seem more prone to breakage (and I am more prone to rip through my hair when I'm in a hurry.:o)


Is curly hair always more malleable?

I was just wondering, because I've long noticed that if I, say, twist my hair up into a cinnabun, it will hold that twisted shape, even when out of the bun, for a long time. I can easily get a curled "braid tassel" just by twisting it around my fingers a couple times, then it'll stay. Straight hair, in my experiences, seems more slippery and won't hold these "encouraged" shapes. Is that universally true?

It works somewhat on wurly hair too. My hair holds the shape out of braids and buns much more than most of the straight-haired people I know.

[WickedWurlys]

@Sunshine: I am so lovin on your hair! That gray is just stunning!!

I took a couple of photos today as my mousse worked and made my hair much thicker :). Anyone know how to post them since I don't have enough posts yet?

[Quixii]

@CurlyCap Well, I guess, I just don't focus on the length. I rub my scalp with shampoo on my fingertips and really try to make sure it's all saturated up there, as that's where I show grease. Then I just rinse it out, without touching the length at all. Does some shampoo get on the length? Probably, but I don't think it's enough to be damaging or anything. I just haven't been able to make full CO really work well.

@WickedWurlys - Yeah, I just thought my fluff was from waves that wouldn't behave, and kept trying all these coney anti-frizz serums that did nothing. Some days I could even get it to look like semi-behaved waves (there's a pic or two in my album), but none of it looked nearly as good as my hair looks when it's just allowed to be itself. I just never even realized. My parents so drilled it in to me that you have to brush your hair or it's ugly. Now I still detangle it, just not every day like they taught.

[WickedWurlys]

Wish I could see your album :(

[Quixii]

Wish I could see your album :(
Oh, sorry, I forgot! Just six more posts! :cheer:

[WickedWurlys]

Make that 5, tee hee!

[Kittyxx]

my curly hair got in fight with an umbrella the other day -_-

I had it up but just losely and little bits kept getting trapped in the metal - I know some definitely ripped but it also caused a really weird thing where the hair sort of sliced so the strand feels all rough but not the whole way through so there aren't any visible splits
if anyone knows what I'm talking about any advice on whether to cut them or pull them out frm the root or whether they can actually be repared by tlc would be appreciated

oh and it's only a few hairs - definitely less than 10 so it wouldn't be to awful just to get rid of them if that's the only solution

[Quixii]

@Kittyxx - I'm not sure, but that kinda sounds like they'll easily turn into splits, so since it's only ~10, I would cut about an inch above where ever the roughness starts, just to be sure that damage won't travel anywhere.

[Tealpuffin]

AGH! I straightened my hair for the first time in about a month and it reminded my just how much I love my hair straight even though I know how bad it is for my hair. I just cannot wait till my hair is long enough for it to actually look nice naturally x

[WickedWurlys]

AGH! I straightened my hair for the first time in about a month and it reminded my just how much I love my hair straight even though I know how bad it is for my hair. I just cannot wait till my hair is long enough for it to actually look nice naturally x

Awwww, hang in there. It will get better and in the meantime stash your straightning iron at your BFF's, lol

[Kittyxx]

Thanks quixxi - imma s&d tomorrow so hopefully i'll be roughness free after that

I love my hair straight too, and not just because it adds length either lol - damn heat being so horrible :(

[Tealpuffin]

Awwww, hang in there. It will get better and in the meantime stash your straightning iron at your BFF's, lol

Thank you :) I think I might do that actually. If I go to Uni in September I am purposely going to leave all my styling tool things at home :P x

[WickedWurlys]

Hmmm, All my pix I am trying to put in my album keep failing. I even tried setting up a flickr account and 2 different computers. Finally the avatar pic took after numerous attempts that said it failed?? If anyone knows how to help, I would really appreciate it!

@Quixii: I just cut off 6", but this is how your hair would look with layers & bangs so don't EVER do it, lol

[Quixii]

@WickedWurlys - Hmm. I wonder why you're having problems with the albums. Are your images all in JPG format (the file will end with ".jpg")? If not, what file type are they (what's after the . in the name)?

[Silverbrumby]

I haven't looked back through all the posts here (but will try) but I wanted some advice. I think I'm more of a curly than I realized and not just a frizz.

1. What gel should I use based on advice from the Curly Girl book about using it? I tried moose today and it feels weird and tacky.

2. Can I still BBB it without making my wavy curls weak and less likely to curl?

Sorry for the newbie curly questions.

[WickedWurlys]

Thank you :) I think I might do that actually. If I go to Uni in September I am purposely going to leave all my styling tool things at home :P x


@WickedWurlys - Hmm. I wonder why you're having problems with the albums. Are your images all in JPG format (the file will end with ".jpg")? If not, what file type are they (what's after the . in the name)?

Ya, I took them on the iphone yesterday and it won't let me download on the phone at all, so set up a flickr account & tried on the phone=won't even give me the option. Got on 2 different computers, saved them from the flickr to the actual computers even and at 1st it says upload successful, then it fails. They are jpg. So not really sure what to do.

[lapushka]

1. What gel should I use based on advice from the Curly Girl book about using it? I tried moose today and it feels weird and tacky.

2. Can I still BBB it without making my wavy curls weak and less likely to curl?

I'm slightly wavy and I wouldn't recommend a BBB at all, save to comb your hair out prior to washing it for instance but certainly not for everyday styling. It is going to destroy your wavepattern / curlpattern.

I have 3 gels I like: Eco Styler, IC Fantasia, LA Looks. They're alcohol-free. Only the IC Fantasia one has silicones, the others do not. I think they're okay for the CG routine.

[Silverbrumby]

I'm slightly wavy and I wouldn't recommend a BBB at all, save to comb your hair out prior to washing it for instance but certainly not for everyday styling. It is going to destroy your wavepattern / curlpattern.

I have 3 gels I like: Eco Styler, IC Fantasia, LA Looks. They're alcohol-free. Only the IC Fantasia one has silicones, the others do not. I think they're okay for the CG routine.

Thank you! Since I've been BBB it is getting frizzier from before when I was more finger combing and combing.

I'm going to try those gels and follow the advice. Thanks Lapushka.:)

[WickedWurlys]

I haven't looked back through all the posts here (but will try) but I wanted some advice. I think I'm more of a curly than I realized and not just a frizz.

1. What gel should I use based on advice from the Curly Girl book about using it? I tried moose today and it feels weird and tacky.

2. Can I still BBB it without making my wavy curls weak and less likely to curl?

Sorry for the newbie curly questions.

Some typical gels that are CG are:
Giovanni B5
Herbal Essence Set Me Up (water soluble cones that rinse out)
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted (water soluble cones that rinse out)
LALooks Sport Gel
LA looks Nuta Curl (green bottle)
Garnier Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel
Suave Captivating Curls Spray Gel
Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee (Very Hard Hold)
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel (light hold)

^^These are all cheap affordable ones and the most expensive being the Giovanni and Biosilk. When your starting out, you try so many to find what works, so I feel cheaper is better until you lear more anyway.

I personally cannot use any brushes and can only wide tooth comb detangle in the shower with my hair slathered in conditioner. Otherwise huge frizz/pouf/breakage.

Lots of people are different, but maybe try that and plopping to help dry to see how curly you are before you decide what you like best. It's really all about what works for you :). Hope this helps!

[Silverbrumby]

Some typical gels that are CG are:
Giovanni B5
Herbal Essence Set Me Up (water soluble cones that rinse out)
Herbal Essence Totally Twisted (water soluble cones that rinse out)
LALooks Sport Gel
LA looks Nuta Curl (green bottle)
Garnier Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel
Suave Captivating Curls Spray Gel
Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee (Very Hard Hold)
Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel (light hold)

^^These are all cheap affordable ones and the most expensive being the Giovanni and Biosilk. When your starting out, you try so many to find what works, so I feel cheaper is better until you lear more anyway.

I personally cannot use any brushes and can only wide tooth comb detangle in the shower with my hair slathered in conditioner. Otherwise huge frizz/pouf/breakage.

Lots of people are different, but maybe try that and plopping to help dry to see how curly you are before you decide what you like best. It's really all about what works for you :). Hope this helps!

Fighting the urge to go to CVS... losing. Thank you so much! I think you're right about the price. I've never thought of myself as a curly but more of a girl with a bit of a wave and frizz. Looking forward to seeing how this works out. :)

[WickedWurlys]

Fighting the urge to go to CVS... losing. Thank you so much! I think you're right about the price. I've never thought of myself as a curly but more of a girl with a bit of a wave and frizz. Looking forward to seeing how this works out. :)

Bahaha! Yes, be careful cuz the product junkie in us all takes over!! I'll bet your curlier than you think. Keep us posted on your results, k?

[Silverbrumby]

Bahaha! Yes, be careful cuz the product junkie in us all takes over!! I'll bet your curlier than you think. Keep us posted on your results, k?

Thank you and I will definitely do that. I'd love to get the frizz under control and I really like curly hair, just didn't think I had it.

[WickedWurlys]

Thank you and I will definitely do that. I'd love to get the frizz under control and I really like curly hair, just didn't think I had it.

If those are your mousse pics, then I'd definitely say you are ALOT curlier than you think. I don't like the way mousse feels either, so just for fun just to do a tester, you could always try these cheapie methods:

-Cowash w/V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze (leave on for as long as it takes you to do your shower washing/shaving, etc.), then rince all out.

-put on Tresseme Naturals Radiant Volume (sweet orange w/lemongrass), then detangle it with the conditioner still in your hair using a wide tooth comb by getting it wet then running it through. Then rinse out.

-use a smaller amount of the Tresseme for your leave in, squeeze the water out and add Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel over whole head by scrunching it in.

-get out of the shower, use an old cotton t-shirt, put on the toilet seat lid, put your head upside down and accordian your hair onto the tshirt and wrap it/tie the sleeves to where it looks like Aunt Jemima head wrap, (see youtube videos for plopping to see how), then leave up in the plop for about 10 minutes.

-take down plop and use another old t-shirt to gently scrunch squeeze any remaing water out. If desired add more Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel scrunched in to any areas that look like they might frizz or all over, whichever you like. NO TOUCHING UNTIL COMPLETELY DRY. :)

This is an example if yoy already clarified with a sulfate free no cone poo to start CG. This is a cheap example that would cost about $10 total to get you started.

[GlassEyes]

I have been such a bad curly boy lately. I haven't worn my hair in its natural state since before december. XD It's either been straightened or curled to loosen my curl pattern--never fully wash and go.

[WickedWurlys]

OMG GlassEyes you're back!! I totally read this entire thread from start to finish and feel like I know you! I was wondering how you Curlsgirl, Heidi, GRU, Bellisaro were faring w/your curlies since you haven't been on here in forever.

[GRU]

OMG GlassEyes you're back!! I totally read this entire thread from start to finish and feel like I know you! I was wondering how you Curlsgirl, Heidi, GRU, Bellisaro were faring w/your curlies since you haven't been on here in forever.

I'm still around and curly as ever. Still loving my routine of CO-wash with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut, rinse, ACV rinse, and then leave-in the SNTC again.

[WickedWurlys]

I'm still around and curly as ever. Still loving my routine of CO-wash with Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut, rinse, ACV rinse, and then leave-in the SNTC again.

GRu, I was gonna ask you if you rinse out your ACV? You never mentioned it in your posts and if I remember right...you spray bottle it in every cowash?

[GlassEyes]

OMG GlassEyes you're back!! I totally read this entire thread from start to finish and feel like I know you! I was wondering how you Curlsgirl, Heidi, GRU, Bellisaro were faring w/your curlies since you haven't been on here in forever.

Well, I've completely abandoned my curls. XD

That said, I'll be going back to them soon. I'm putting in some curly extensions because I'm tired of shrinkage. I may even start growing my hair out again, but who knows.

That said, I do still like my curls. It's just easier to straighten and leave it for days. XD

[WickedWurlys]

Well, I've completely abandoned my curls. XD

That said, I'll be going back to them soon. I'm putting in some curly extensions because I'm tired of shrinkage. I may even start growing my hair out again, but who knows.

That said, I do still like my curls. It's just easier to straighten and leave it for days. XD

Uh oh, how bad of a boy have you been? Relaxed or still just having your sister flat iron? Did you hafta BC, cuz your hair was getting really long? Are you still roller setting at all?

[GlassEyes]

Nah, I straighten it myself now. No huge cut, just trims. I'm paat BSL straight, APL-ish curly, last I checked. Also, no relaxers--although I did use an organix brazilian treatment that was wonderful, but temporary. No major damage, really, as long as I maintain it at this length.

You really did read this entire thread, huh? XD

[Quixii]

GlassEyes! Long time no see! Hope you're doing well. :)

[WickedWurlys]

Yup, this whole flippin thread, it took me about a month in my "spare time". I have you and Curlsgirl to blame for my PJ problem, lol
Organix Brazillian huh? Is that one of the formaldehydes? So proud of you for not relaxing though!!

They have some really neat extensions out, I saw some the other day that were really nice. APL natural is really good for 3b though!!

[Hollyfire3]

Struggling wurly/curly here, my hair is already fried and damaged (but still shiny odly enough...) and no longer has much of a curl pattern except when on rare occasions everything is perfect. Right now, I need to clarify but clarifying seems to always make my hair straight and not at all pretty, I thought clarifying made hair bouncier and curlier because it wasn't weighed down? I have neutrogena anti-residue shampoo, vo5 kiwi lime shampoo, suave clarifying shampoo and vo5 mint tea (blue formula) clarifying shampoo, all of these steal what little wave I have left in my hair, does anyone know why? am I clarifying wrong? I just did a DT with suave refreshing waterfall mist conditioner, coconut oil and aloe gel, the coconut oil caused crunchy, nasty hair, this leads me to believe I need to clarify and that I now have build up making my hair unresponisive to any DT or anything really, hence the question above. What should I do? I have already washed my hair today with diluted shampoo, but I guess I could wash again...although i am trying to avoid it. Should I CO with the suave conditioner? Should I clarify and if so, what shampoo or what do I have to do to not ruin my wurls? Sorry for all the questions, I just need some help.

[GRU]

GRu, I was gonna ask you if you rinse out your ACV? You never mentioned it in your posts and if I remember right...you spray bottle it in every cowash?

I keep a water bottle of ACV in my shower with a quart-sized plastic cup (I keep the cup upside-down on the bottle so it doesn't collect water). I put a splash (under a tablespoon, I don't measure) of ACV in the cup then fill with shower water and then pour that slowly over my head, making sure to get down to my scalp.

Sometimes I rinse it out, but I usually don't bother. I add a bit of extra water to the top of my head before adding my leave-in (the extra water helps me keep from getting too heavy-handed with the leave-in near my roots), and so that rinses some of it off. My hair really holds odors, but I've never had any ACV smell afterward, so I don't see any reason to rinse it out.

[WickedWurlys]

I keep a water bottle of ACV in my shower with a quart-sized plastic cup (I keep the cup upside-down on the bottle so it doesn't collect water). I put a splash (under a tablespoon, I don't measure) of ACV in the cup then fill with shower water and then pour that slowly over my head, making sure to get down to my scalp.

Sometimes I rinse it out, but I usually don't bother. I add a bit of extra water to the top of my head before adding my leave-in (the extra water helps me keep from getting too heavy-handed with the leave-in near my roots), and so that rinses some of it off. My hair really holds odors, but I've never had any ACV smell afterward, so I don't see any reason to rinse it out.

I thought you left it in, but wanted to make sure I remembered right. So, thought I would try it since it does't seem like it would hurt anything to not be rinsed out. Thanx so much! I saw on a youtube video that one gal popped a hole in the cap of a regular water bottle and disbursed it that way for more control and thought that was a cool idea too!

[WickedWurlys]

Struggling wurly/curly here, my hair is already fried and damaged (but still shiny odly enough...) and no longer has much of a curl pattern except when on rare occasions everything is perfect. Right now, I need to clarify but clarifying seems to always make my hair straight and not at all pretty, I thought clarifying made hair bouncier and curlier because it wasn't weighed down? I have neutrogena anti-residue shampoo, vo5 kiwi lime shampoo, suave clarifying shampoo and vo5 mint tea (blue formula) clarifying shampoo, all of these steal what little wave I have left in my hair, does anyone know why? am I clarifying wrong? I just did a DT with suave refreshing waterfall mist conditioner, coconut oil and aloe gel, the coconut oil caused crunchy, nasty hair, this leads me to believe I need to clarify and that I now have build up making my hair unresponisive to any DT or anything really, hence the question above. What should I do? I have already washed my hair today with diluted shampoo, but I guess I could wash again...although i am trying to avoid it. Should I CO with the suave conditioner? Should I clarify and if so, what shampoo or what do I have to do to not ruin my wurls? Sorry for all the questions, I just need some help.

Hmmm, I think you're right that you are in need of clarifying. I've seen your posts before and You seem to be having the same problem over & over which is leading me to believe that you are suffering from a possible mineral buildup, so anything else you are tring to do is not being accepted properly.

If it were me, I would get a bottle of Malibu Hard Water Wellness Shampoo to remove EVERYTHING. Then co, co, co with no cones after that. I bet you would get your hair back the way it used to be...

[Hollyfire3]

Hmmm, I think you're right that you are in need of clarifying. I've seen your posts before and You seem to be having the same problem over & over which is leading me to believe that you are suffering from a possible mineral buildup, so anything else you are tring to do is not being accepted properly.

If it were me, I would get a bottle of Malibu Hard Water Wellness Shampoo to remove EVERYTHING. Then co, co, co with no cones after that. I bet you would get your hair back the way it used to be...


You are right, I have the same problem over and over...its quite frusterating......do they sell this shampoo at CVS or is there a similar drugstore brand I can get? I don't want to buy another product, but mineral build up or harsh build up in general might be the issue, but then again, it might not, I always do this, think I have the solution, waste money trying to fix it then it doesn't work and the product is never used again. I might just have to say this is the last thing I'm buying, no matter if it worked or not...oh I don't know, this is so frusterating....:(

[Quixii]

@Hollyfire3 - Is it possible that your hair just actually isn't as curly/wurly any more? It's not at all unusual for your hair type to change as you age. Perhaps yours has just decreased in wurliness. :shrug: It's not a bad thing.
Alternatively, have you tried some sort of really strong moisture treatment?

[WickedWurlys]

You are right, I have the same problem over and over...its quite frusterating......do they sell this shampoo at CVS or is there a similar drugstore brand I can get? I don't want to buy another product, but mineral build up or harsh build up in general might be the issue, but then again, it might not, I always do this, think I have the solution, waste money trying to fix it then it doesn't work and the product is never used again. I might just have to say this is the last thing I'm buying, no matter if it worked or not...oh I don't know, this is so frusterating....:(

I know what you mean about buying another product and I totally understand your frustration! I actually had a huge hair emergency that was sooo bad that I was stuck in the shower for 2 1/2 hours w/every kind of co, DT & oil you could think of and was still losing hamster & gineau pig size hair loss daily. The poor girls at nc.com were telling me use 100 million low poo clarifiers too, but it just wasn't working & I was fixing to call the suicide prevention hotline, lol

Then one day I figured it out, that it was mineral/hard water build up. I live in Alaska, so we don't have a Sally's, but I remembered it from a regular store I had been in years ago. So, I don't know about CVS, but maybe Sally's? I believe someone long ago mentioned a hard core chelating one by Lantz which I think you can only get in a salon.

It is the only thing that worked for me, but maybe someone else knows of an equivable one to remove mineral build up???

But, I really think that is your problem from reading your posts and I fear that you are going to continue to "chase your tail" until you get all that off so that your hair can start accepting moisture and emollients again.

[Hollyfire3]

@Hollyfire3 - Is it possible that your hair just actually isn't as curly/wurly any more? It's not at all unusual for your hair type to change as you age. Perhaps yours has just decreased in wurliness. :shrug: It's not a bad thing.
Alternatively, have you tried some sort of really strong moisture treatment?

I don't think so...this was sudden, I truely believe it is because of heat damage, my hair actually goes back to its former self on rare occasions and the hair already grown out is the part that isn't wurly, the new growth isn't long enough to tell if it is curly, but the short new pieces near my ear (the little side area) is curly like usual.

[Hollyfire3]

I know what you mean about buying another product and I totally understand your frustration! I actually had a huge hair emergency that was sooo bad that I was stuck in the shower for 2 1/2 hours w/every kind of co, DT & oil you could think of and was still losing hamster & gineau pig size hair loss daily. The poor girls at nc.com were telling me use 100 million low poo clarifiers too, but it just wasn't working & I was fixing to call the suicide prevention hotline, lol

Then one day I figured it out, that it was mineral/hard water build up. I live in Alaska, so we don't have a Sally's, but I remembered it from a regular store I had been in years ago. So, I don't know about CVS, but maybe Sally's? I believe someone long ago mentioned a hard core chelating one by Lantz which I think you can only get in a salon.

It is the only thing that worked for me, but maybe someone else knows of an equivable one to remove mineral build up???

But, I really think that is your problem from reading your posts and I fear that you are going to continue to "chase your tail" until you get all that off so that your hair can start accepting moisture and emollients again.

Can mineral build up happen if I don't use hard water? It might just be the issue if this is possible. I know of a Sally's close to me, so I will end up there tommrow most likely, I know this is all fixable, its just truely a matter of using the right stuff. Its not like my hair is decreasing in wurlyness, it just needs the right stuff.

[WickedWurlys]

Can mineral build up happen if I don't use hard water? It might just be the issue if this is possible. I know of a Sally's close to me, so I will end up there tommrow most likely, I know this is all fixable, its just truely a matter of using the right stuff. Its not like my hair is decreasing in wurlyness, it just needs the right stuff.

Yes, it can totally happen unless you are using distilled water only. I would just call Sally's & ask If they have Malibu and if not do they have a mineral buildup removing poo, that way you don't waste time & gas unnecessarily if they don't.

I'm not gonna lie this bottle will end up lasting you years b/c it's not something you need to do regularly. Public water is pretty hard and has tons of chlorine, flouride & minerals in it. After you chelate it, it is super important to infuse tons of moisture into it right away.

[Silverbrumby]

If those are your mousse pics, then I'd definitely say you are ALOT curlier than you think. I don't like the way mousse feels either, so just for fun just to do a tester, you could always try these cheapie methods:

-Cowash w/V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze (leave on for as long as it takes you to do your shower washing/shaving, etc.), then rince all out.

-put on Tresseme Naturals Radiant Volume (sweet orange w/lemongrass), then detangle it with the conditioner still in your hair using a wide tooth comb by getting it wet then running it through. Then rinse out.

-use a smaller amount of the Tresseme for your leave in, squeeze the water out and add Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera gel over whole head by scrunching it in.

-get out of the shower, use an old cotton t-shirt, put on the toilet seat lid, put your head upside down and accordian your hair onto the tshirt and wrap it/tie the sleeves to where it looks like Aunt Jemima head wrap, (see youtube videos for plopping to see how), then leave up in the plop for about 10 minutes.

-take down plop and use another old t-shirt to gently scrunch squeeze any remaing water out. If desired add more Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel scrunched in to any areas that look like they might frizz or all over, whichever you like. NO TOUCHING UNTIL COMPLETELY DRY. :)

This is an example if yoy already clarified with a sulfate free no cone poo to start CG. This is a cheap example that would cost about $10 total to get you started.

WOW, getting excited and definitely going to try this!!! :taz:

[WickedWurlys]

WOW, getting excited and definitely going to try this!!! :taz:

I can't wait to see your results!

[Hollyfire3]

Yes, it can totally happen unless you are using distilled water only. I would just call Sally's & ask If they have Malibu and if not do they have a mineral buildup removing poo, that way you don't waste time & gas unnecessarily if they don't.

I'm not gonna lie this bottle will end up lasting you years b/c it's not something you need to do regularly. Public water is pretty hard and has tons of chlorine, flouride & minerals in it. After you chelate it, it is super important to infuse tons of moisture into it right away.

Thank you SO much! What do you recomend for moisture afterwards?

[Tealpuffin]

I haven't looked back through all the posts here (but will try) but I wanted some advice. I think I'm more of a curly than I realized and not just a frizz.

1. What gel should I use based on advice from the Curly Girl book about using it? I tried moose today and it feels weird and tacky.

2. Can I still BBB it without making my wavy curls weak and less likely to curl?

Sorry for the newbie curly questions.

Ooooh! sorry I am not very helpful but I just noticed that our hair is very similar! :) do you find that your hair gets random kinks and corkscrews among the waves and wurls? with the gel a lot of ladies recommend aloe vera gel. I would not recommend using BBB as it will just create more static and frizz x

[Tealpuffin]

Sorry missed all the other replies :o x

[WickedWurlys]

Thank you SO much! What do you recomend for moisture afterwards?

I would just do the DT's you have been doing, completely cut out cones and ditch your shampoos. Switching to just cowashing is the most effective method I've found to bring out curls. If these things don't work, then maybe Quixii is right about your hair possibly not being that curly anymore. Super Good Luck!

[Corrina777]

I don't think so...this was sudden, I truely believe it is because of heat damage, my hair actually goes back to its former self on rare occasions and the hair already grown out is the part that isn't wurly, the new growth isn't long enough to tell if it is curly, but the short new pieces near my ear (the little side area) is curly like usual.

I'm sorry to chime in late to the conversation, but in addition to CG (cutting sulfates and cones), if you suspect that part of the culprit could be damage, a good protein treatment could also be beneficial. I've been modified CG for almost six months, but it was when I started doing regular protein treatments that my curls magically came back to life. Without the protein, all of the extra moisture from CG actually made my hair less curly and more wavy. It's usually finding the balance between protein and moisture that makes curls look their best.

[WickedWurlys]

I'm sorry to chime in late to the conversation, but in addition to CG (cutting sulfates and cones), if you suspect that part of the culprit could be damage, a good protein treatment could also be beneficial. I've been modified CG for almost six months, but it was when I started doing regular protein treatments that my curls magically came back to life. Without the protein, all of the extra moisture from CG actually made my hair less curly and more wavy. It's usually finding the balance between protein and moisture that makes curls look their best.

Corrina, I noticed she has medium in her stats like I do and protein makes things 100% worse for me b/c my hair is not fine, so I'd be really careful with that. She mentions that coconut oil is making her crunchy, so my thinking is mineral buildup. But totally agree that finding the balance is key.:o

[Corrina777]

Corrina, I noticed she has medium in her stats like I do and protein makes things 100% worse for me b/c my hair is not fine, so I'd be really careful with that. She mentions that coconut oil is making her crunchy, so my thinking is mineral buildup. But totally agree that finding the balance is key.:o

With all textures it's important to find the right types of protein- it's not just fine textured hair that does well with protein- it's also high porosity hair that typically benefits and in most cases damaged hair is also highly porous. I would definitely advise following protein with moisture (I still do this because my hair is always happy for extra moisture). The protein treatments were what tipped me off about my hair being fine. Based on the info I read about determining texture, I thought my hair was medium also. I started protein because I ended up over-conditioned and found that no matter how much I used I wasn't getting that straw feeling that people talked about. I caved and ordered a hair analysis because it didn't seem to make sense.

[Hollyfire3]

I'm sorry to chime in late to the conversation, but in addition to CG (cutting sulfates and cones), if you suspect that part of the culprit could be damage, a good protein treatment could also be beneficial. I've been modified CG for almost six months, but it was when I started doing regular protein treatments that my curls magically came back to life. Without the protein, all of the extra moisture from CG actually made my hair less curly and more wavy. It's usually finding the balance between protein and moisture that makes curls look their best.

Balance sure is key! If I can get the exact balance, my hair curls to like 3a curls with tons of volume and craziness, thats the weird part, my hair is just finicky, so I am thinking the curls are still there for sure, they are just built up, weighed down by product and mineral deposits, I am sure they will come out for good after this shampoo is used.

[Hollyfire3]

Corrina, I noticed she has medium in her stats like I do and protein makes things 100% worse for me b/c my hair is not fine, so I'd be really careful with that. She mentions that coconut oil is making her crunchy, so my thinking is mineral buildup. But totally agree that finding the balance is key.:o

my hair goes straighter with protein, I also suspect my hair is more course than medium, so that may also be part of the problem. I ended up with ion hard water shampoo (sally's didn't carry the one you mentioned, something about the stocks are different in different stores...) but I think this one should be just as good, the reviews are good to so I may have hope yet. Balance is my main problem, but I can't really achieve it with build up and junk blocking everything out.

[WickedWurlys]

With all textures it's important to find the right types of protein- it's not just fine textured hair that does well with protein- it's also high porosity hair that typically benefits and in most cases damaged hair is also highly porous. I would definitely advise following protein with moisture (I still do this because my hair is always happy for extra moisture). The protein treatments were what tipped me off about my hair being fine. Based on the info I read about determining texture, I thought my hair was medium also. I started protein because I ended up over-conditioned and found that no matter how much I used I wasn't getting that straw feeling that people talked about. I caved and ordered a hair analysis because it didn't seem to make sense.

I totally caved & got the analysis too & mine was spot on and my hair detests protein, which complicated my problems all that much more. Texture & porosity play alot bigger roles than simply 2a or 3b & such as we well know. It's just so frustrating that there isn't a solid method for everybody!! What a perfect world it would be :p

[WickedWurlys]

my hair goes straighter with protein, I also suspect my hair is more course than medium, so that may also be part of the problem. I ended up with ion hard water shampoo (sally's didn't carry the one you mentioned, something about the stocks are different in different stores...) but I think this one should be just as good, the reviews are good to so I may have hope yet. Balance is my main problem, but I can't really achieve it with build up and junk blocking everything out.

That one sounds like it would work just fine so once you use it, your hair is gonna be pretty grumpy at 1st until you get that moisture infused again so beware. It's not an instantaneous fix until you get it rebalanced again like Corrina is saying. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya and keep us posted!!

[Hollyfire3]

That one sounds like it would work just fine so once you use it, your hair is gonna be pretty grumpy at 1st until you get that moisture infused again so beware. It's not an instantaneous fix until you get it rebalanced again like Corrina is saying. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ya and keep us posted!!

I am worried to use any conditioner, should I just skip it for today? Grumpy like how....kinda scared of it now, and am hoping it mean that it will be crazy curly and frizzy, I would be thankful for a glimpse of my old hair. What DT should I attempt to remoisturize and when should I use it? Can I use suave waterfall mist condtioner for moisture? Is it cone free? Sorry, lots of questions.

[Hollyfire3]

These are the ingredients for the clarifyer/hard water shampoo, Ion hard water shampoo, is it cone free?

WATER ,SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE ,SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE ,COCAMIDE MEA ,PPG/PEG-2/10 GLYCERYL COCOATE ,SODIUM CHLORIDE ,PROPYLENE GLYCOL ,SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE ,PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE ,FRAGRANCE ,DISODIUM EDTA ,WHEATGERMAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE HYDRO ,PANTHENOL ,PHENOXYETHANOL ,POLYQUATERNIUM-10 ,CITRIC ACID ,SODIUM GLUCONATE ,METHYLPARABEN ,GLUCOSE ,PROPYLPARABEN ,TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ,ASCORBIC ACID ,BLUE 1 ,YELLOW 5

Again, I don't have hard water, can mineral build up still be my problem?

[WickedWurlys]

I am worried to use any conditioner, should I just skip it for today? Grumpy like how....kinda scared of it now, and am hoping it mean that it will be crazy curly and frizzy, I would be thankful for a glimpse of my old hair. What DT should I attempt to remoisturize and when should I use it? Can I use suave waterfall mist condtioner for moisture? Is it cone free? Sorry, lots of questions.

Just use warmest water you can stand to open the cuticle, use the ion poo & make sure you work it through the whole hair (not just the scalp) and use alot then rinse mega, mega thoroughly to get it completely out, then use your Waterfall conditioner (yes, it's cone free) and rinse with cool water and if you have a little bit heavier cone free conditioner apply that as a leave in and gently squeeze/ scruch your water out while the conditioner stays in.

Use an old t-shirt to accordian your hair on the top of your hair (plop) & your hair should respond alot better than it has, but by ditching all shampoos after this & using your Suave Waterfall as your shampoo for your next washing & using a leave in it should get better & better and your moisture balance will cone back. HTH

[WickedWurlys]

These are the ingredients for the clarifyer/hard water shampoo, Ion hard water shampoo, is it cone free?

WATER ,SODIUM C14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE ,SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE ,COCAMIDE MEA ,PPG/PEG-2/10 GLYCERYL COCOATE ,SODIUM CHLORIDE ,PROPYLENE GLYCOL ,SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE ,PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE ,FRAGRANCE ,DISODIUM EDTA ,WHEATGERMAMIDOPROPYL DIMETHYLAMINE HYDRO ,PANTHENOL ,PHENOXYETHANOL ,POLYQUATERNIUM-10 ,CITRIC ACID ,SODIUM GLUCONATE ,METHYLPARABEN ,GLUCOSE ,PROPYLPARABEN ,TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ,ASCORBIC ACID ,BLUE 1 ,YELLOW 5

Again, I don't have hard water, can mineral build up still be my problem?

Yep, yep, yep. Remember, you only need to use this once-it will not be a regular regime. 1 time, what do you have lose?

[Hollyfire3]

Just use warmest water you can stand to open the cuticle, use the ion poo & make sure you work it through the whole hair (not just the scalp) and use alot then rinse mega, mega thoroughly to get it completely out, then use your Waterfall conditioner (yes, it's cone free) and rinse with cool water and if you have a little bit heavier cone free conditioner apply that as a leave in and gently squeeze/ scruch your water out while the conditioner stays in.

Use an old t-shirt to accordian your hair on the top of your hair (plop) & your hair should respond alot better than it has, but by ditching all shampoos after this & using your Suave Waterfall as your shampoo for your next washing & using a leave in it should get better & better and your moisture balance will cone back. HTH

Thank you! I really hope this isn't just another thing that isn't going to work...I have tried far too much, its just so annoying and hard to take. Can I use mousse (I love mousse) after washing? I'm not sure I want to do CO washing, I am considering it though. Can I lather up the shampoo more than once to be sure I get everything out? The shampoo is cone free right?

[lapushka]

Thank you! I really hope this isn't just another thing that isn't going to work...I have tried far too much, its just so annoying and hard to take. Can I use mousse (I love mousse) after washing? I'm not sure I want to do CO washing, I am considering it though. Can I lather up the shampoo more than once to be sure I get everything out? The shampoo is cone free right?

Here's one girl who uses mousse religiously, so no I don't think it does harm to your hair:
Part1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwAZudH3XA8&feature=plcp&context=C4cba76fVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix6fqmWVIu769z8eHGjkFTVg&#37;3D
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_YQmXAXgQ&feature=relmfu
ETA ->How she styles her hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RxbYZHvEnw&feature=plcp&context=C45c24dfVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix3ziN28p34MfVlR7Er0i5Zc%3D

[Hollyfire3]

Yep, yep, yep. Remember, you only need to use this once-it will not be a regular regime. 1 time, what do you have lose?


Good point, that is my motto for most things, most don't work but some do, which is great.

[WickedWurlys]

Thank you! I really hope this isn't just another thing that isn't going to work...I have tried far too much, its just so annoying and hard to take. Can I use mousse (I love mousse) after washing? I'm not sure I want to do CO washing, I am considering it though. Can I lather up the shampoo more than once to be sure I get everything out? The shampoo is cone free right?

This shampoo is cone free, but does have sulfates which you need to get rid of the buildup. The co washing does provide surfectants that actually clean the hair as well as shampoos when you scalp massage with the pads of your fingers & rinse. It just doesn't lather up like poo, so you don't feel/think that it is cleaning because we have been taught that sudsing & lather =clean when in reality it is the sulfates in the shampoos that are harsh and drying wheras your hair cuticle is porous like a sponge and doesn't let it out which is even more damaging.

I think to see your desired results, you should really give cowashing some consideration to maintain the moisture that your curls are needing to come back out. I would really recommend some reading for you such as visit the:
Live curly live free.com as Tiffany is a well known curly hairdresser and a/k/a the curl whisperer. Also, lorraine Massey's Curly Girl ebook is very informative as well.

I don't think you would need to lather up the shampoo more than once though. I didn't mean to hijack this thread though, it just sounded like you needed some help. You can try these methods or not, but these things made the difference between night & day for me :)

[WickedWurlys]

Here's one girl who uses mousse religiously, so no I don't think it does harm to your hair:
Part1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwAZudH3XA8&feature=plcp&context=C4cba76fVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix6fqmWVIu769z8eHGjkFTVg%3D
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_YQmXAXgQ&feature=relmfu
ETA ->How she styles her hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RxbYZHvEnw&feature=plcp&context=C45c24dfVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix3ziN28p34MfVlR7Er0i5Zc%3D

Exactly!! I use it occasionally too. I just avoid cones, or just make sure they are water soluble, like Herbal Essence set me up, or totally twisted work for me.

[Hollyfire3]

This shampoo is cone free, but does have sulfates which you need to get rid of the buildup. The co washing does provide surfectants that actually clean the hair as well as shampoos when you scalp massage with the pads of your fingers & rinse. It just doesn't lather up like poo, so you don't feel/think that it is cleaning because we have been taught that sudsing & lather =clean when in reality it is the sulfates in the shampoos that are harsh and drying wheras your hair cuticle is porous like a sponge and doesn't let it out which is even more damaging.

I think to see your desired results, you should really give cowashing some consideration to maintain the moisture that your curls are needing to come back out. I would really recommend some reading for you such as visit the:
Live curly live free.com as Tiffany is a well known curly hairdresser and a/k/a the curl whisperer. Also, lorraine Massey's Curly Girl ebook is very informative as well.

I don't think you would need to lather up the shampoo more than once though. I didn't mean to hijack this thread though, it just sounded like you needed some help. You can try these methods or not, but these things made the difference between night & day for me :)

Thanks for all the help, I will and have looked into it and will probably try it if i see some results from this heavy duty clarifyer. Its not highjacking, this a thread for curls, i need help with my curls, so not hijacking. :)

[Hollyfire3]

Here's one girl who uses mousse religiously, so no I don't think it does harm to your hair:
Part1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwAZudH3XA8&feature=plcp&context=C4cba76fVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix6fqmWVIu769z8eHGjkFTVg%3D
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_YQmXAXgQ&feature=relmfu
ETA ->How she styles her hair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RxbYZHvEnw&feature=plcp&context=C45c24dfVDvjVQa1PpcFNG-NvaRKiix3ziN28p34MfVlR7Er0i5Zc%3D


Thanks! I just thought mousse was bad because not many use it, I personally love it. This makes me feel SO much better about my mousse love.