Can moisturizing hair de-activate curls?

[cmnt831]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I've read that moisture can help activate curls, but I was wondering if it could also make hair straighter? I started off here in January with hair that was rather dry because I never used conditioner or oils, even though I used a non-sls shampoo. My hair was frizzy looking, but otherwise healthy. Then within a couple days of reading here and trying out different things, I found that all that frizz was actually curls. That lasted for a few weeks. I was washing with a non-sls shampoo, conditioning with Giovanni and oiling with shea butter/olive oil mix. I started the updo challenge and did that for a month so didn't really pay attention to my hair. Now, I've noticed that it's much straighter than before and in very nice condition (since I've been coddling it). It's soft and kind of shiny, not frizzy and dull like before I found LHC. So, I was wondering what the heck was going on. It's grown maybe an inch or inch-and-a-half since then and I know that pulled down some of the curl since my hair is so fine. But could the moisture have made it straighter, too?:confused:

I was thinking of clarifying to see what the texture might be, but I feel like that would only dry my hair out and go back to frizz - and it doesn't feel like it needs clarifying anyway. I'll wash it tomorrow and post a pic of what it looks like. My sig is my hair-typing photo from January which I will compare it with.

Sorry for the long post, I'm just a bit confused about my hair (being still quite new to all this) and want to treat it the right way and make the most of it, I guess. Thanks for reading. :flower:

[Cailie]

have you tried plopping after washing ?

Do you think it could be the weight of your hair (more moisture and longer = heavier) ?

[cmnt831]

Cailie:Yeah, I've been plopping and the curls look just OK when they're still wet and they just gradually go straighter as they dry. They used to look nice and springy when they were wet and a bit looser, but still curly (like my sig), when they dried.

That's exactly what I'm thinking: that it's the weight of my hair (length and moisture = too heavy for fine strands).

I guess I just needed other opinions to look at the situation more objectively. Gah, to have to go through the whole hair-typing thing again! Is it that easy to change types for some hair?

[Cailie]

Mine is also like this, not so easily "typed"

I'm easily a 3a when I plop... if it's short even more sprigny !
but if I don't plop, more like a 2c
and a few days after a wash, if I have combed through ... more of a 2a with a few waves !

The longer the heavier and the less curls I have too.

But you know, I tell myself there are advantages, and I don't mind being "less curly" Hair that changes so much is always interesting, and healthy is the most important I think (:

I prefer to have softer curls with great shiny hair ... but no frizz, damage, stiff & dry hair like before (:

Maybe try using a natural gel of some sort when you plop ? I think there are some homemade you can do with flax seed and aloe gel (?)

[cmnt831]

Are you my long-lost hair twin? What you've described about your hair sounds just like mine. Yes, I do prefer healthy hair no matter if it's curly or straight. :) Maybe it's just a type morph-er or something. :p It refuses to be labeled. Heh, kind of like me....

Today it is about a 1c/2a, amazingly enough. And very soft and non-tangly. But I did blow dry yesterday (gently on warm and cool settings) because it was too cold in my house for wet hair. Tomorrow should be warm enough to air dry to get a better idea of what it's doing.

I've got flax seed and aloe, I'll have to try it out some time.:D

[Pixna]

I tried to be a Curly Girl numerous times. For me, heavy conditioners and too much moisture makes my hair oily looking, flat, and icky. I have reconciled with my waves and decided that I'm perfectly content with my frizz and fluffiness. My hair is schizophrenic and not easy to categorize. I think that's a common problem for us wavies and wurlies. My hair can go flat and straight-ish with the wrong products. Once you find the right ones, stick with them. Switching around, trying different products, and trying to push my hair into the curly range were disastrous for me.

[curlylocks85]

It could be from wearing your hair up. I know that when I wear my hair in an updo my curls tend to straighten out.

[Pixna]

It could be from wearing your hair up. I know that when I wear my hair in an updo my curls tend to straighten out.

Absolutely true for me, too. When I wear my hair up (which is almost all the time these days) it's incredibly smooth. The wave pattern is totally wonky and my standard waves are annihilated, but they return as soon as I wash or wet my hair.

[Cailie]

ohhh, same here !

So my hair has twins, I like that ! (:

[Liss]

I guess it could de-activate curls, although I'm not really sure. After aboout 2 weeks of CO washing I did a new hair typing and found that the added moisture had changed my hair from a 1a to a 1b/1c. That's quite a change for me, so I don't see why you hair couldn't go in the opposite direction.

[Roseate]

My hair can be quite variable in the wave/wurl/curl department, too. For me, it's influenced by what products I use, how I handle it as it dries, and the weather.

I don't think you need to worry about doing another hairtyping photo unless you really want to; I know I personally never plan on doing it again! My hair hates to be clarified, and really hates to dry without some kind of leave-in conditioner or oil. I figure, no matter how my hair varies, 2c is still in the ballpark, so I'll stick with it.

[Shicurls]

I know my hair weighs down too much with moisture. I find that lighter products and mixing up my routine work for my hair, but I'm still a "super-shortie"! When it was longer I was using products like you would not believe and it was breaking off! Maybe go through a period where you don't moisturize so much? :shrug:

[cmnt831]

I tried to be a Curly Girl numerous times. For me, heavy conditioners and too much moisture makes my hair oily looking, flat, and icky. I have reconciled with my waves and decided that I'm perfectly content with my frizz and fluffiness. My hair is schizophrenic and not easy to categorize. I think that's a common problem for us wavies and wurlies. My hair can go flat and straight-ish with the wrong products. Once you find the right ones, stick with them. Switching around, trying different products, and trying to push my hair into the curly range were disastrous for me.

I'm glad to know there are more of us with wonky hair. :D The thing about my hair right now is that it's neither flat nor greasy nor frizzy or fluffy. It looks like nice hair, so that's why I'm confused. It has never ever behaved like this ever in my life. It was seriously a point of contention for me and even my family because it never ever looked well-kept at all - and now it suddenly does? :confused: I'm happy, but confused.:p


It could be from wearing your hair up. I know that when I wear my hair in an updo my curls tend to straighten out.

I was wondering about that, too. I did have to brush it more to do the updos and braids and stuff, which makes the curl loosen.


ohhh, same here !

So my hair has twins, I like that ! (:

We're all coming out of the woodwork, I guess. :p


I guess it could de-activate curls, although I'm not really sure. After aboout 2 weeks of CO washing I did a new hair typing and found that the added moisture had changed my hair from a 1a to a 1b/1c. That's quite a change for me, so I don't see why you hair couldn't go in the opposite direction.

Yeah, at first it did make it more curly; but, now I think it's too fine to hold the curls because of the added weight from growth and moisture, maybe?


My hair can be quite variable in the wave/wurl/curl department, too. For me, it's influenced by what products I use, how I handle it as it dries, and the weather.

I don't think you need to worry about doing another hairtyping photo unless you really want to; I know I personally never plan on doing it again! My hair hates to be clarified, and really hates to dry without some kind of leave-in conditioner or oil. I figure, no matter how my hair varies, 2c is still in the ballpark, so I'll stick with it.

Thanks! I think I'll watch what it does for the next couple of weeks and find my hair's ballpark. :p I'm still going to take a picture of it for my own documentation because I like evidence. It hasn't been this long in a while and I forgot what it was like at this length. I know when it's shorter it's a lot more curly. Anyway, my hair doesn't take too kindly to clarifying, either - that's why I don't want to do it. And it *loves* its leave in shea butter/olive oil mixture.:D


I know my hair weighs down too much with moisture. I find that lighter products and mixing up my routine work for my hair, but I'm still a "super-shortie"! When it was longer I was using products like you would not believe and it was breaking off! Maybe go through a period where you don't moisturize so much? :shrug:

Ah, so it happens to you, too. :) See, I'm thinking it's the moisture (well, and the length), but my hair drinks it all up and loves it, so I can't stop feeding it.:p It doesn't like products either except the shea/olive mix. I'd rather deal with longer, straighter moisturized hair than do curlier and dry or shorter.... Dh is weirded out by it though. He wants to know where my curls went and when they're coming back.:(

[Kaijah]

It's possible you're over moisturized. I've heard of curly girls finally reaching that point, where they have so much moisture all the curl kind of "falls out." That or they get super soft hair with frizz.

You could try a protein treatment to balance it out. If that's the problem, maybe also try alternating the Giovanni (I think the only Giovanni conditioner with protein is the 50:50, is that the one you're using?) with another daily conditioner that has a bit of protein to see if that keeps it from happening again.

Maybe try a lighter oil? Shea + olive oil would be a pretty heavy mix. Maybe after all this time it's catching up with you, so to speak.

I do find my hair to be pretty shapeable, but it seems like its always been that way even when it was dried out. If I leave it alone it curls/wurls, but if I braid it takes the braidwaves, if I bun, it'll take the waves from various buns... some bun styles make it almost straight, and it'll stay that way until I get it wet again.

[cmnt831]

It's possible you're over moisturized. I've heard of curly girls finally reaching that point, where they have so much moisture all the curl kind of "falls out." That or they get super soft hair with frizz.

You could try a protein treatment to balance it out. If that's the problem, maybe also try alternating the Giovanni (I think the only Giovanni conditioner with protein is the 50:50, is that the one you're using?) with another daily conditioner that has a bit of protein to see if that keeps it from happening again.

Maybe try a lighter oil? Shea + olive oil would be a pretty heavy mix. Maybe after all this time it's catching up with you, so to speak.

I do find my hair to be pretty shapeable, but it seems like its always been that way even when it was dried out. If I leave it alone it curls/wurls, but if I braid it takes the braidwaves, if I bun, it'll take the waves from various buns... some bun styles make it almost straight, and it'll stay that way until I get it wet again.

I think I already knew you were my hair twin, but that just confirms it.:D

I'm using the Smooth as Silk one. I don't think it has protein in it, but I could be wrong.

Yep, I'm definitely thinking it's the moisture...but my hair loves it so much. It's now super soft and no frizz! I think the light blowdry yesterday may have put it over the edge as far as how straight it is now. I cannot believe it's my hair whenever I pass a mirror. I'll post a picture tomorrow after it airdries and see what's up.

Ok, here's what it looks like today. I did have to blowdry it yesterday, but it was on cool and warm and I left it damp to finish airdrying. It looks like a totally different head of hair.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4741&pictureid=67722


I'll post another tomorrow after airdrying.

[Kaijah]

Yeah, we seem to have a lot of ditto features!:D

And wow, that really is a different head of hair. It looks like it was heat-straightened (but without the crispy-ness)!

[ericthegreat]

Wow cmnt831! I have to say, you also look wonderful with straighter hair as well as with your natural waves.

My hair actually behaves exactly like how you described cmnt831. When my hair is super wet or I have just freshly rinsed it with conditioner, it will fall absolutely 1a pin straight, you could see the shine off my hair too! But for some reason, sometimes but not always depending on how my hair likes to air-dry, I will get just a slight hint of some body or a little bend at my ends when my hair air-dries. This is why I put myself in the 1a/1b category.

I think your hair behaves in quite the same way, except of course you have much more of a natural curl pattern than I do. Your hair looks very healthy and shiny nonetheless, its looks beautiful straight as well.

Edit: I also want to add that I definitely think that for some hairtypes including mine, added moisture actually straightens our hair. On the rare times I clarify my hair(which is about once a month) and I use a clarifying shampoo, my hair will of course feel much drier than it normally does when I only CO. When my hair air-dries right after a clarifying session, I will actually get a little wave at my ends. This only happens to my hair when my hair is clarified and free of added oils/moisture from my conditioner. On the normal every day nights that I CO my hair, it will air-dry perfectly pin straight.

[cmnt831]

Yeah, we seem to have a lot of ditto features!:D

And wow, that really is a different head of hair. It looks like it was heat-straightened (but without the crispy-ness)!

Well, the blow dryer was on the warm setting for a while and I had also used my wide tooth comb to de-tangle, which - ha, for once it didn't need - and yeah, surprise!


Wow cmnt831! I have to say, you also look wonderful with straighter hair as well as with your natural waves.

My hair actually behaves exactly like how you described cmnt831. When my hair is super wet or I have just freshly rinsed it with conditioner, it will fall absolutely 1a pin straight, you could see the shine off my hair too! But for some reason, sometimes but not always depending on how my hair likes to air-dry, I will get just a slight hint of some body or a little bend at my ends when my hair air-dries. This is why I put myself in the 1a/1b category.

I think your hair behaves in quite the same way, except of course you have much more of a natural curl pattern than I do. Your hair looks very healthy and shiny nonetheless, its looks beautiful straight as well.

Edit: I also want to add that I definitely think that for some hairtypes including mine, added moisture actually straightens our hair. On the rare times I clarify my hair(which is about once a month) and I use a clarifying shampoo, my hair will of course feel much drier than it normally does when I only CO. When my hair air-dries right after a clarifying session, I will actually get a little wave at my ends. This only happens to my hair when my hair is clarified and free of added oils/moisture from my conditioner. On the normal every day nights that I CO my hair, it will air-dry perfectly pin straight.

Thanks! You know, this is exactly what happens to me, now that I think about it. Before I started my updo challenge, I had added conditioner and oils to my routine and I was getting weaker curls, much less frizz and the hair was - how do I explain this? - um, swinging freely instead of being in a curly clump. Then I started the updo challenge and of course, my hair was taking on the form of whatever braid or twist I had put it in. It's definitely grown - so add weight, plus moisture and voila! I guess, anyway.:o
But the couple times I clarified it, it was big and fluffy and had definite curl to it. I guess we'll see where this goes. It's kind of neat having hair that has a mind of it's own - maybe. :rolleyes:

I'm glad you let me know this happens to you, too. :)

[Ursula]

It may be worth trying a clarifying wash. In my experience, clarifying, when needed, doesn't return hair to the dry, frizzy state that it was in before getting into a good moisturizing routine. If you were to do a clarifying wash all the time, that might dry your hair out, but once in a while may be enough to allow a rich, moisturizing routine without letting it build up to being very heavy.

[chickpea]

My hair loses its waves if I overcondition. I tried CO washing years ago after reading the Curly Girl book, and the routine made my hair almost straight! I use shampoo bars or Jessicurl cleansing cream now, and conditioners that are not too heavy.

When my hair feels well moisturized, I skip using conditioner after washing and only use a small amount of leave-in conditioner on the ends. Once a month or so I wash with Joico chelating shampoo to remove any product build-up and hard water minerals. I can usually tell when my hair needs clarifying, because nothing seems to work and it feels dry even after a moisturizing treatment.

[cmnt831]

It may be worth trying a clarifying wash. In my experience, clarifying, when needed, doesn't return hair to the dry, frizzy state that it was in before getting into a good moisturizing routine. If you were to do a clarifying wash all the time, that might dry your hair out, but once in a while may be enough to allow a rich, moisturizing routine without letting it build up to being very heavy.

Thanks! I'll keep this in mind. :) I've clarified twice since January, I think, and both times my hair did dry out too much, but maybe now that it's super moisturized it will be a better experience.


My hair loses its waves if I overcondition. I tried CO washing years ago after reading the Curly Girl book, and the routine made my hair almost straight! I use shampoo bars or Jessicurl cleansing cream now, and conditioners that are not too heavy.

When my hair feels well moisturized, I skip using conditioner after washing and only use a small amount of leave-in conditioner on the ends. Once a month or so I wash with Joico chelating shampoo to remove any product build-up and hard water minerals. I can usually tell when my hair needs clarifying, because nothing seems to work and it feels dry even after a moisturizing treatment.

Thanks for the tips. :) Ah, something else just hit me when you mentioned "hard water minerals". We got a shower filter. I had only ever washed my hair in our hard water before and now it's filtered water. I wonder if that has something to do with it. We got the filter at the same time that my hair started losing the curl....:hmm::doh:I bet that's a big factor. I didn't even consider that.

[Pixna]

Wow, that really IS quite a difference. Holy smokes!! Your hair is beautiful either way, though. :heart:

[Cailie]

Very different, but totally GORGEOUS both ways !! I want my hair to be as long as yours !!

:love:

[cmnt831]

Wow, that really IS quite a difference. Holy smokes!! Your hair is beautiful either way, though. :heart:

Thanks! I'm going to wash it and air dry it in a few minutes and I'll post later today. Not a clarifying wash, but just what I normally do.


Very different, but totally GORGEOUS both ways !! I want my hair to be as long as yours !!

:love:

Thanks! That's the good thing. All the length I lost when it curls up is suddenly there now. :D

[cmnt831]

Here's my hair air dried today. It's still only slightly damp. I think the blow dryer made it straighten out a bit more the other day. But I wouldn't call my hair 3a anymore or even 2c. Eh, it's not an official hair typing anyway. I'm going to do the ballpark thing as someone suggested. :) Anyway, it's soft and not tangly and it certainly isn't sticky or crunchy. I'm guessing moisture and length have pulled the curl out. I'm just going to let it do it's thing and if it's happy - I'm happy. :D Maybe others will see this and be able to figure things out, too.

ETA: I just combed it out and lost even more wave. I hadn't combed it in the picture. It now looks more like the picture I posted yesterday.

I have to thank everyone who posted in this thread for helping me with tips and facts and detective work and general encouragement. So, thanks! It is very much appreciated. :flower: And if anyone has anything to add - feel free. :D

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4741&pictureid=67798

[Cailie]

I really think your hair is beautiful, and seeing how mine is about the same type - you are a hair inspiration for sure :crush:

I'd love my hair to be as pretty as yours at this length, I wouldn't mine loosing my curls : those beautiful waves are to die for !

[cmnt831]

I really think your hair is beautiful, and seeing how mine is about the same type - you are a hair inspiration for sure :crush:

I'd love my hair to be as pretty as yours at this length, I wouldn't mine loosing my curls : those beautiful waves are to die for !

Aw, thanks! :flower: I think they're pretty, too.:D I've never paid this much attention to my hair in my life, so it's all pretty new to me. Before LHC, I thought I was destined to a life of big frizzy hair. Now, well - my hair looks nice, curly or wavy or straight.

[Cailie]

Feels like a revolution, I know !!
And without using any heat tools and "coney-serums" etc. etc. either :D

[cmnt831]

Feels like a revolution, I know !!
And without using any heat tools and "coney-sebums" etc. etc. either :D

Haha - "revolution" indeed! Have fine hair, add moisture and oil and voila! No need for products! I'm now actually wondering if it has more to do with porosity than texture. You know, how much moisture the hair can absorb and keep? Or maybe my hair has been the one in control this whole time? :ponder: And I'm just it's lackey. :p

[Thinthondiel]

Cailie:Yeah, I've been plopping and the curls look just OK when they're still wet and they just gradually go straighter as they dry. They used to look nice and springy when they were wet and a bit looser, but still curly (like my sig), when they dried.

That's exactly what I'm thinking: that it's the weight of my hair (length and moisture = too heavy for fine strands).

I guess I just needed other opinions to look at the situation more objectively. Gah, to have to go through the whole hair-typing thing again! Is it that easy to change types for some hair?

I don't have fine hair, but my hair is also straighter when it's well moisturised. It's always a lot curlier/springier after I've clarified using an SLS shampoo.

[cmnt831]

I don't have fine hair, but my hair is also straighter when it's well moisturised. It's always a lot curlier/springier after I've clarified using an SLS shampoo.

Ah, more evidence! I also have tons of volume after clarifying and tons of tangles, as well, and the hair feels coarse. Much less volume and fine silky non-tangled hair when it's moisturized. I like the silky non-tangled state better, even if there's less curl. :)

[LadyJennifer]

My hair went flat with the Giovanni Smooth As Silk condish, apparently I needed more protein than it has.
Maybe without your hard water you need less moisture, but still use the same amount because that's what you're used to?

[cmnt831]

My hair went flat with the Giovanni Smooth As Silk condish, apparently I needed more protein than it has.
Maybe without your hard water you need less moisture, but still use the same amount because that's what you're used to?

Yeah, it does become a habit, probably born out of fear that I will have the dried out frizzy hair I started here with. It didn't help that I had a nightmare last night that I had splits and damage up to my ears because I wasn't moisturizing my hair enough. :rolleyes: I'll probably go through an experimental phase again, but my hair is really nice and soft and non-tangly, so it seems happy the way I've been treating it. So far, when I air dry my hair it produces 2a waves and when I blow dry it on warm and cool, low setting it's 1b/1c - closer to 1b, though. I guess I'll just watch and see what happens next. :p I'm happy it's still on my head at this point. :)

[cmnt831]

I wanted to update this since my soapnut wash earlier today. I didn't use conditioner or oils and this is my hair:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4741&pictureid=68313

So, you all were right in assessing that I was over conditioning and over oiling. :D {Bows to the authority of LHC} Now, does anyone have any suggestions for making my hair shiny without weighing it down? Herbs, oils, whatnot?