Ok, 1st hair pic ... need help, tips, encouragements...

[Sweetness]

hmmm...

I feel a little self conscious, as so many have beautiful hair here... :oops:

But January 2010, hair resolutions, and so many knowledgeable people around here maybe you can help me understand my hair and give me useful advice... as I am very new to hair care.

First, this is the hair that's been driving me crazy all my life... but getting to respect it more and more as time goes by

This is a couple years ago, natural aired dry with nothing in it after salted sea water, sun and wind... just to give an idea of my natural shape and texture.


My hair today... note it's totally uncombed and I just woke up ! lool


Ok, it's not pretty at all... but this is what I start off with after SO MUCH neglect. It can only get better with time and care, right ?? :confused:


Hair history in brief :

Hated it since I was 2 years old, I wanted strait hair ! Through my life, my hair has been straighten chemically (first time at 9 years old... I was so angry with it my mom finally agreed ... :rolleyes:), bleached, colored in about every color, angrily brushed dry and wet, blow dried, flat ironed, rubber band pulled, etc.

In two words, I've been bad in about every way. I think that MOST of worst the damage is cut off, but I still have a lot of "flat iron & cie" damage on the top layers ... I actually hate those "unwanted layers" of damaged hair that is broken and shorter than the underlying hair... hope some day to have it evened out somehow to make trimming easier :(:( Never been daily shampooed (I guess that's pretty good, maybe the only good thing I ever did for it)


Present hair care :
Respecting it more... Trying to go more natural, got rid of shampoo a little while ago for now and trying to treat it gently. In fact, it was much longer last summer, a few inches of damage has been cut off already. I'll try to get regular trims too...


My questions... What do you experts "see" here ? Any ideas of the "kind" of hair that I have to work with ? You think it can grow, somehow, to be beautiful hair someday and not a frizzy ugly mess ? Am I a 3a or not ? How do I know about porosity and if it's fine/coarse ?


Any comment, suggestion, tips on what to do and not do, information about what my hair "type" is and what it means... etc. Everything welcome, I really want to most beautiful and healthy hair that I possibly can have from now on ... if possible.



** Edit :
omg, I just foud this ... this is 4 years ago !


I guess it is already somewhat more healthy, less frizzy/dry than is was a while back ... I've never compared pictures before :bigeyes:

[Speckla]

Tip - stay on this site. :)

Your hair looks very healthy and shiny to begin with!

[Sweetness]

Thank you Spekla !

I do intend on staying here, so many great members ! :oops:

[Katze]

Welcome here.

Your hair is BEAUTIFUL! I would trade with you in a heartbeat. ;)

yep, it at least LOOKS healthy in the more recent pics. And the brown is much prettier than the yellowish shade, IMO.

My best friend has hair a lot like yours, and so does my DH. I love those sproingy ringlets! I bet your hair will be a lot happier with more moisture and once you embrace its true gorgeousness rather than trying to force it to be something it isn't.

Do you use leave-ins? Have you tried CO and other 'curly girl' hair tips? SMTs?

good luck finding what you are looking for! :blossom:

[Sweetness]

Do you use leave-ins? Have you tried CO and other 'curly girl' hair tips? SMTs?

good luck finding what you are looking for! :blossom:

Thank you Katze (:

I don't use leave ins... I did buy some oils and sometimes do oil treatments (coconut, argan, etc.) or just put a little in (no oil on these pictures thought). Any suggestions about leave ins ? Should I ?


As for the curly hair tips : I stopped using any kind of brush. I usually comb it gently with (good natural) Co in it of finger comb when dry... I stopped shampoo and traded for Co-Washing avery couple days, and I usually bun it with wood hair sticks/forks now rather than rubberbands. But that's pretty much it, so far.

Note that I don't really want to accentuate the curls for now ... still not really in love with myself when I have curl ringlets all over and trying to stay away from compulsive ironing :oops: ... hmm yeah, we can trade ! :p

[Sammich]

God, I would die for the curls! Lucky you for having such beautiful curly ringlets... Swap! Yes, I've seen curly haired members from dry and damged to moisturised and beautiful. :) It'll be better in time... (Leona Lewis song? Lolz. >> Sorry. Ahem.)

[GoddesJourney]

Your picture on the beach is wonderful. Otherwise, your hair just looks exhausted after all the things you've done to it. It's not actually bad hair. Also, be sure to check out the curly threads about care of curly hair. Curlies usually do better with gentle combing and no brushing because it makes otherwise beautiful hair look frizzy and poofy.

[Heidi_234]

You should come over to the Curly/Wurly thread, and check out NaturallyCurly.com too maybe. You have pretty curls who just need a little bit of special care to become amazing! My hair was driving me crazy as well, but after I learned to deal with the curliness of it, it got so much better and easier. :)

It's good that you've got rid of the shampoo. I'd suggest looking into scrunching (product in the hair) and plopping to encourage the curls. Don't brush/comb/finger-comb it when it's dry, it messes up the curl pattern and causes volume and frizz. Add more moisture to your routine (anything from coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera gel, to leave ins, to conditioners. I use a conditioner as a leave in for example). If you like natural stuff you might also want to consider things like cassia or catnip.

I have very horrible ends, and they require extra moisture and babying all the time. You can still grow long despite awful ends, as long as you keep the damage in control. I trim every so not-often, I'm about to meet my first long-term goal. :wink:

[angelthadiva]

I love your curl pattern and am so jealous. I like the idea of more moisture; whether that comes from a leave-in or from oils or both. I do both, but am a less curly than you. I'm more wurly than curly :lol:

I don't have much more to add; other than saying welcome and hang out with us. :waving:

[treesandcoffee]

Traverse this site-- it will answer your questions regarding porosity and texture: http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/curly%20hair%20basics.htm

Welcome! And congratulations on a healthy head of hair!

I too agree that you could benefit from deep conditioning. Using oils alone just won't cut it. Oils are meant to seal in moisture, so if there isn't some already there, it will just sit on top of the hair and do nothing to tame the frizzies.

A simple dt would be a rich conditioner, maybe mixed with some oil. Saturate your hair, cover in plastic cap (I reuse plastic grocery bags, tie the handles on the forehead). Then cover in a cloth to keep heat in. Leave in for an hour or more or even overnight. Co-wash out.

IMO leave ins are essential for curlies. Our hair tends to be so dry. Leave in conditioner and you will see a difference. This isn't a bad method: http://tightlycurly.com/welcome/ just to start with.

After the leave in, I scrunch in some gel. Leave to dry, then while damp, I seal the ends with coconut oil. This is just what works for me.

My last piece of advice is to EXPERIMENT! Not every method/combo will work for you. Keep trying til you find the right one.

Good luck!

[AstrayStar]

I wish you lots of luck! I have had bone straight hair most of my life and have yearned for hair like yours. I think it is absolutely beautiful!

[Sweetness]

Thanks to all, I'll answer as soon as I can.




A simple dt would be a rich conditioner, maybe mixed with some oil. Saturate your hair, cover in plastic cap (I reuse plastic grocery bags, tie the handles on the forehead). Then cover in a cloth to keep heat in. Leave in for an hour or more or even overnight. Co-wash out.



Thank you, makes a lot of sense about the oil / moisture thing.

I'm alone for the whole weekend, I'm going to try this out - as of : now lol :p




ps. Any tips on drying curly hair more into a wave pattern than ringlets ?? braid ? (but without hurting it, of course) ??

I know people love when I let my hair do ringlets and I get great comments (but it feels like 360 degree hair volume and I feel like a "huge head" girl, and fingers can't go through it or it's a frizzball :rolleyes:) but I'm not quite there yet in terms of hair acceptance ... maybe someday, but I'm not yet into the "I want very defined curls all over" kind of thing right now ... I find it beautiful... on others :oops: I guess some curlies might understrand the feeling ?

So, are no-damage-waves a possibility somehow (air dry in a twisted braid ?), until I achieve total peace ? :oops:

[angelthadiva]

Sweetness said


ps. Any tips on drying curly hair more into a wave pattern than ringlets ?? braid ? (but without hurting it, of course) ??

I know people love when I let my hair do ringlets (and it feels like 360 degree hair volume and I feel like a "huge head" girl, and fingers can't go through it or it's a frizzball ) but I'm not quite there yet in terms of hair acceptance ... maybe someday, but I'm not yet into the "I want very defined curls" kind of thing right now ... are no-damage-waves a possibility somehow ?

In a word: Plop (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYDQO0GSGVM) or another word plunk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSN_nTWDVAo). Think of the results you get from a diffuser w/o all the damaging heat styling. Have fun...Home alone :)

ETA: T-shirts work good, or down the line you may want to invest in an Aquis waffle weave towel.

[TheCatSaidQuack]

i agree with everyone else here - stay here, read, and follow directions!!
I honestly love your hair texture - though I can understand why you would want to straighten it, because I'm guilty of the same thing. Your hair gives off a gorgeous bohemian vibe that, if my hair would only do, i wouldn't keep it straight most the time!!

[bumblebums]

Re: straightening without damage:

My hair is a little less curly than yours, so this might not work for you, but I find that it straightens out to a 1c/2a if I put it in a no-twist bun for a day (something like a Nautilus or similar). If I let it air-dry, it's always a 2c.

If you can figure out a way to bun it right after you wash it, you should be able to get some straightening effect without styling it, and you can then wear it down the next day.

[Sweetness]

Re: straightening without damage:

My hair is a little less curly than yours, so this might not work for you, but I find that it straightens out to a 1c/2a if I put it in a no-twist bun for a day (something like a Nautilus or similar). If I let it air-dry, it's always a 2c.

If you can figure out a way to bun it right after you wash it, you should be able to get some straightening effect without styling it, and you can then wear it down the next day.

oh, I think I like this :eyebrows: I will try !





ps. Hair now up in plastic, with lots of "Botanical Therapeutic daily moisturizing conditioner", a little organic aloe gel & coconut oil

Co ingredients :

- Purified Botanical water (infused with certified Organic Alfalfa, Chamomille, Echinacea, Nettle and red clover)
- Emulsified coconut oil and Bees wax
- Apple cider Vinegar
- Botanical Tree Essences
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flax seed oil
- Pumkin seed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Avocado oil
- Red cedar oil (Thuja plicata)

http://www.dayza.com/Users-Photos/1263060106.jpg (http://www.dayza.com/file/Users-Photos/1263060106.jpg/1.html)


Think it's a good Co for such hair ?
How long is the best to keep it up there ? until tomorrow morning ? Couple hours ?

[Sweetness]

I use a conditioner as a leave in for example).



Another quick question :oops: : can any kind of conditioner (as the above) be used as a leave-in in between washes ?

[Sweetness]

Sweetness said



In a word: Plop (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYDQO0GSGVM) or another word plunk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSN_nTWDVAo). Think of the results you get from a diffuser w/o all the damaging heat styling. Have fun...Home alone :)

ETA: T-shirts work good, or down the line you may want to invest in an Aquis waffle weave towel.

I'll try this and let you know how it works out ! thank you

[Sweetness]

i agree with everyone else here - stay here, read, and follow directions!!
I honestly love your hair texture - though I can understand why you would want to straighten it, because I'm guilty of the same thing. Your hair gives off a gorgeous bohemian vibe that, if my hair would only do, i wouldn't keep it straight most the time!!

Iron addicted friend (I guess I should define myself as a "former"...) :p This said, I'm SURE your hair with it's natural curl is much better than mine ! You should show us :eyebrows:



AstrayStar, angelthadiva, GoddesJourney, Sammish, thank you for the comments ! Really, my hair is not in top condition at all ... someday, someday it'll be better ... I hope !


treesandcoffee, I'll read those sites (bookmarked them !) thank you so much !

Heidi_234, thank you for the helpful comments ! I'll look at those treads too. I'm sure curlies have so many great tips on how to deal with curls... amazing how no one actually knows what to do with them in the real world (starting with most hairdressers I ever met :rolleyes:)

[Coriander]

Welcome to LHC, Sweetness. :)

I love your dark color... the curls really pick up on that. I think it's funny how most of us want to be on the other side of the fence at least once. I've permed my hair twice (both times with disastrous results), and am now happy with my straight hair.

You have beautiful curls. There are many people here on the board with lovely curls as well who might be better able to give you advice on curl care. :flower:

[SunshineHair]

Sweetness I have found that being on this site also helps me appreciate my hair. You said something similar in your original post!

Stay around:)

I see you already have gotten so awesome advice! And honestly, your hair is very pretty, and I wouldnt say that if I didnt mean it:D

[Teazel]

I don't have advice to offer, since I'm not of your hairtype; I just wanted to say how pretty your curls are! :crush:

[Heidi_234]

Another quick question :oops: : can any kind of conditioner (as the above) be used as a leave-in in between washes ?
Well, it's more of a trial and error thing. My hair doesn't like conditioner when it's dry (unless it is done for this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=39318), which I cannot recommend enough! but that's have very little to do with leave ins lol), but I use the thickest conditioner that I got right after washing, when my hair is still wet. I think any conditioner that works for your hair will do. I scrunch it up and squash it in my hair, so that the water runs down the length with the conditioner and helps distribute it. It encourages curl clumping, which cuts down on the volume.

[anneisanne]

You really do have lovely curls- maybe at some point they'll grow on you ;) and be less of an annoyance.

[Sweetness]

Coriander, Sunshinehair and Teazel, thank you very much for all the encouraging and nice comments.


Now I've just Co-washed the deep conditioning treatment with "Giovanni's organic hair conditioning care for dry hair" ** and did a diluted apple cider rinse ... and then "plopted" the whole thing up in a 100% cotton fabric (how sexy, really :lol:).


**
http://www.dayza.com/Users-Photos/1263073069.jpg (http://www.dayza.com/file/Users-Photos/1263073069.jpg/1.html)
Ingredients :
Purified water, rosemary oil, nettle oil, thyme oil, birch leaf oil, chamomille oil, clary, lavender, coltsfoot leaf, yarrow oil, marrow, horsetail oil, soybean protein, Vitamin E, acetaminde MEA, plant derived cetyl alcohol, trace minerals, corn citric acid, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, grapefruit seed.


Are the red ingredients bad ?? :confused: :confused: I just noticed the MEA !! That's bad isn't it ? :hmm:

[Sweetness]

Well, it's more of a trial and error thing. My hair doesn't like conditioner when it's dry (unless it is done for this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=39318), which I cannot recommend enough! but that's have very little to do with leave ins lol), but I use the thickest conditioner that I got right after washing, when my hair is still wet. I think any conditioner that works for your hair will do. I scrunch it up and squash it in my hair, so that the water runs down the length with the conditioner and helps distribute it. It encourages curl clumping, which cuts down on the volume.



I'll go read this thread, thank you for the link ! I think I understand scrunching and plopping... now what is clumping ?? :hmm:


Annesiane, thank you ! maybe... maybe... who knows :p

[anneisanne]

I think clumping would refer to how much hair is in each ringlet. You know how you can pick up a thick curl, and the if you run your hands through it it turns into a lot of thinner curls? The thicker one you started with is clumped together, the thinner ringlets aren't.

[Sweetness]

"Acetamide MEA: Used in lipsticks and cream blusher to retain moisture. Causes adverse reactions, and is toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic."

here (http://en.mimi.hu/beauty/acetamide_mea.html)



It's safety analysis by "cosmetic safety database" (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product/58984/Giovanni_Conditioner-Remoisturizer-50;;50_Balanced/)

grrrrr !!! and I was so careful in choosing something I though "earth friendly" and natural, even ready to pay more for it. pffft !!



:disgust:

[Sweetness]

I think clumping would refer to how much hair is in each ringlet. You know how you can pick up a thick curl, and the if you run your hands through it it turns into a lot of thinner curls? The thicker one you started with is clumped together, the thinner ringlets aren't.



Ah ! this makes sense ! thanks (:
bigger clumps = less frizz... logical :p

[Sweetness]

:?

Ok, that's deep co during 4 hours + co wash + ACV rinse + plop (and unplopped still a little damp)



... and I know it's more defined and everything... but as I thought I find it much too curly :(


I'll try the bun thing to dry it *hopefully* more soft / wavy next time, because right now I feel like a poodle (and a little like shaving it off !) :( (I do love poodles, I have a standard poodle ! ... but still ... )

[girlcat36]

That looks gorgeous!
Your hair is very similar to mine, but I think yours is thicker. And I can never get my hair to curl all the way up the length like yours because it's so fine.
It looks very healthy!

[ShadowSwallow]

Your curls are so shiny and lovely. :crush:

[Sweetness]

You're so sweet, but it does look like a poodle this way :lol: This said, I agree I did help my hair get healthier in the last years (without even trying seriously since a few weeks ago) if I compare pictures with the one four years ago (and the feel of my ends has completely changed).

Writing this and posting pictures actually made me realize how much it has improved in texture already. I guess there's progress, even tough it's very far from perfect from my point of view, still has split ends (much less, but still...) etc.



girlcat36, I actually find your hair much prettier and it looks softer too ! I wish mine didn't curl so much on the top (or hmm... at all) ... I guess we're all hard on ourselves sometimes :sight:

Anyways, now it's up ! And I'll try not to think about it for now :rolleyes:

[melikai]

I think your hair is lovely.
If you're looking for a good, natural conditioner, the Honeysuckle Rose conditioner by Aubrey Organics is highly recommended around here. It would be too thick to use for CO, but the Camellia conditioner by the same brand is said to be thinner, and might work for you. CO uses a lot of conditioner, so most use a relatively inexpensive one.

If you want to gently and safely straighten your hair, you might try the techniques and ideas in this thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=514327&postcount=37

For what it's worth, I *do* love your curls though.

[Sweetness]

Thank you so much for the comment and links !

Maybe someday I'll like my hair this curly... the problem isn't actually what is looks like... it can look kind of pretty I guess, but I don't like the "feeling" of wearing it... it just feels HUGE and not soft, for some reason.


Anyway, here's the next experiment to soften a little yesterday's extreme curls overnight without doing anything "more" to it. I only softly bunned it all night.

I kind of like the softer touch of it now ... my hair feels really soft and "less like a sheep's wool" than yesterday evening after the plopping ...

[treesandcoffee]

Thank you so much for the comment and links !

Maybe someday I'll like my hair this curly... the problem isn't actually what is looks like... it can look kind of pretty I guess, but I don't like the "feeling" of wearing it... it just feels HUGE and not soft, for some reason.


Anyway, here's the next experiment to soften a little yesterday's extreme curls overnight without doing anything "more" to it. I only softly bunned it all night.

I kind of like the softer touch of it now ... my hair feels really soft and "less like a sheep's wool" than yesterday evening after the plopping ...


There's no reason why you can't wear your hair wavy or curly whenever you feel like. I know people who would kill to have those springy curls, and they get regular perms... and alternately I know women who would kill to have loose, soft waves. I have read about a million curlies (including myself) that have to bend over backwards to get that amazing root curl. You're very lucky!

[Sweetness]

Thank you ! It's true that I like that my hair stays pretty much in the position I dry it in... unfortunately the "strait" position damages it... but hey, I'm learning to appreciate what I have and will start thinking positive (:


Can anyone tell me what kind of hair type you think I "naturally" have ? 3a but 3b when curl-encouraged by plopping ??? I'm still undecided about this ... :oops:

[Elenna]

I know where you are coming from in regards to curls and waves. I straighten hair by putting it in a ponytail &/or a bun with a hairstick or hairfork.

The other reason to wear your hair up is that the drying delay helps your hair retain moisture resulting in much better behaved and softer hair.

[Yozhik]

Your hair is gorgeous! I have a friend who has very similar hair to yours, and she always gets so many compliments from her curly mane!
Your hair looks very healthy already, in my opinion, and I love the curls.
Good luck on getting the waves/straighter hair you want :)

[2peasinapod]

I think your hair looks gorgeous! It looks so much healthier than the picture from four years ago! I love the texture in all of your pictures. Good luck getting the one you want! 8)

[ShadowSwallow]

Don't worry about not absolutely loving your curls at this point. It's a change and unlike US reality TV shows would like us be believe, lasting change doesn't occur overnight. It's a journey, so enjoy it. :flowers:

[LadyJennifer]

Embrace your curls! They are lovely!

[melikai]

Can anyone tell me what kind of hair type you think I "naturally" have ? 3a but 3b when curl-encouraged by plopping ??? I'm still undecided about this ... :oops:

I would agree - 3a naturally. It's a bit hard to judge from your pictures, because each one is quite different!