My hair is growing but....

[kristymarie87]

There seems to be something i'm missing.

My hair ia 1a/b. Its not stick straight, its not wavy. There are random kinks it seems all over. It tends to frizz more on these "kinks".

Even if i brush while i dry i get frizz and my hair isnt straight.

I've tried plopping, finger combing, scrunching etc to bring out the waves. I've used mousse, aloe gel and curling cremes to prolong waves. I dont get the waves - the just flick out all over the place. I am almost APL so should manage to scrunch by now!

I did finger comb last night and got some waves but it ended up drying into a frizz.

I've tried CO, WO and am currently CWCing. I tried giving up SLS and cones - not for me. I tried oiling - made my hair too greasy. I have dry ends and greasy roots.

My hair is relatively healthy and i get regular trims. What am i missing?!

[luxepiggy]

Sounds like you're trying to force your hair to be something it's not - 1b hair is not going to naturally come up wavy. If you really want waves, have you tried braiding overnight?

[enfys]

Yup. My hair won't make itself wavy or straight; it always hovers somewhere between. I can do whatever I've wanted to try and make my hair curl but my whole life I've never worked out how to make it stay. It just doesn't.

Part of the hairtype acceptance :shrug:

[kristymarie87]

Sounds like you're trying to force your hair to be something it's not - 1b hair is not going to naturally come up wavy. If you really want waves, have you tried braiding overnight?

I dislike braid waves - at this length they look silly and i am unable to french braid. I dont mind bigger waves but they dont seem to "take" they just go frizzy as if it was humid but its not!

[Coan-Teen]

Yeah, my hair doesn't wave. I've got maybe half an s-wave at the nape of my neck and nothing more. The only time I've ever gotten my hair to wave is with braiding. Otherwise it goes straight when longer or flips in weird directions when shorter.

[LaurelSpring]

This may be one of those hair phase difficulties. I can see where that would be a problem at a shorter length. Once it gets longer that wont be as much of an issue. Just keep experiementing and putting it up. It took me a couple of years to finally find a routine that worked for me and for my hair to fall into place. Once you stumble onto it you will have this ah-ha moment. The simplest thing can sometimes make a huge difference.

[kristymarie87]

This may be one of those hair phase difficulties. I can see where that would be a problem at a shorter length. Once it gets longer that wont be as much of an issue. Just keep experiementing and putting it up. It took me a couple of years to finally find a routine that worked for me and for my hair to fall into place. Once you stumble onto it you will have this ah-ha moment. The simplest thing can sometimes make a huge difference.

I've been wishing for this moment forever!! Its almost APL and 2 inches ago i was thinking only an inch till i get out of this awkward phase! It just seems to want to stay in it.

I dont know how to describe it but my hair seems stiff. Like most hair will fall to make the shape of your jacket bending over but the weight pulling it down. My hair just bends near the neck and sticks straight up - like a good 4 inches sticks out straight without falling! As if i've hairsprayed it. I hate the texture!

[Debra83]

Have you tried Garnier Fructis triple nutrition conditioner? It might help you eliminate the frizzies. I cwc with it, and leave a little in as a leave in conditioner too. It helps me eliminate frizzes like no other conditioner I've used (and i've used a LOT). It is cone free too! You can check out my thread about it....http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50881 Good luck!

[kristymarie87]

Have you tried Garnier Fructis triple nutrition conditioner? It might help you eliminate the frizzies. I cwc with it, and leave a little in as a leave in conditioner too. It helps me eliminate frizzes like no other conditioner I've used (and i've used a LOT). It is cone free too! You can check out my thread about it....http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50881 Good luck!

I've heard such good things about that condish!! But i cannot find it anywhere!! I've looked in all the main stores such as Boots, Superdrug etc and ASDA, Morrissons etc but i just cannot find it!! COuld i get it on amazon maybe?

[enfys]

I've heard such good things about that condish!! But i cannot find it anywhere!! I've looked in all the main stores such as Boots, Superdrug etc and ASDA, Morrissons etc but i just cannot find it!! COuld i get it on amazon maybe?

If it's sold in the UK it's under another name :(

You could probably get it off Amazon or eBay, but it would have to be imported.

[Gabriel]

Sounds like you might have wavier hair in there somewhere. Sometimes it takes more time (length) for the weird bends and kinks to grow out into long curls or spirals. My hair does this. My hair also has a lot of volume/weird frizz when it's short as well which is another sign.

Is there any damage on your length at all? Were you a constant curling iron/blowdryer/straghtening iron/etc... user before deciding to grow longer who might still have a bit of slightly damaged near the ends?

If your ends are more damaged than the rest of your hair the natural loose curl pattern there may have been interrupted.

The Naturally Curly (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/) website is a good one to look through that might help you in your quest for waves. Go into the "2s" section (wavies and loose curlies) and browse around. There's even a thread with before and after pictures that might help.

[Artsy]

If it's a 1b, like mine is as well, it will never curl with scrunching, and mine never got more curl when it was longer, beyond classic at one point. There is always a lot of frizz, but what I have found works for me is to take 2-3 sections of hair and twist them while they are drying. This makes very loose spirals. Also making bun waves are not a bad idea, they keep the frizz down.
To make it straight and frizz free I air dry it with a towel on my head twisted down, or blow-dry in winter.
Another good way to tame the frizz is to occasionally lightly mist the top layers. It can be done with your hands instead of the spray. Oil doesn't help my frizz, but leaving regular conditioner does, especially with humectants.
I hope any of this helps

[GoddesJourney]

Mine was frizzy regardless until I grew out my old chlorine and sls shampoo damage. I still have a couple of frizzy spots left over, but I avoid creating new ones by continuing with the CO and occassional light, gentle shampooing (usually just the roots). Anyway, if it's frizzy due to damage, there may be little you can do until it grows out. Have you tried weighing it down with a light oil? I spray my hair with rosewater pretty frequently and my hair has always loved this.

[bumblebums]

Mine was frizzy regardless until I grew out my old chlorine and sls shampoo damage. I still have a couple of frizzy spots left over, but I avoid creating new ones by continuing with the CO and occassional light, gentle shampooing (usually just the roots). Anyway, if it's frizzy due to damage, there may be little you can do until it grows out. Have you tried weighing it down with a light oil? I spray my hair with rosewater pretty frequently and my hair has always loved this.

+1, same here. My hair was frizzy and horrible-looking from heat damage. Once it grew out, I could work with the waves.

As I recall from OP's other posts, that might be an issue for her as well.

[melikai]

I've heard such good things about that condish!! But i cannot find it anywhere!! I've looked in all the main stores such as Boots, Superdrug etc and ASDA, Morrissons etc but i just cannot find it!! COuld i get it on amazon maybe?


If it's sold in the UK it's under another name :(

You could probably get it off Amazon or eBay, but it would have to be imported.

In the UK and rest of Europe, it's called "Repair and Shine". Exact same ingredients (we compared in another thread)! :)

[Anje]

Give rope braids a try if you want waves. They look rather different from the zigzag-y braid waves.

[Laila23]

What about going the opposite way? Because making waves work with 1b hair is really hard.

What about straightening it out some... any options out there for heat-free straightening?

[torrilin]

I dont know how to describe it but my hair seems stiff. Like most hair will fall to make the shape of your jacket bending over but the weight pulling it down. My hair just bends near the neck and sticks straight up - like a good 4 inches sticks out straight without falling! As if i've hairsprayed it. I hate the texture!

That really doesn't sound like a 1 anything to me :). You pretty clearly have volume, which is a pretty foreign concept for most 1 variants. Seriously! I've had a lot of fun over the years having wavier/curlier friends try to style my hair with volume, or watching me do it in ways that work, and then we time how long it takes for my hair to go limp. I'd thought for years that I was a pure 1a too... nope. I'm 1b (maybe higher, but doubtful). The bit of wave I have doesn't have *space* for a full wavelength until I'm BSL.

That said, it might be worth thinking about whether your hair is dry. I've found that even tho my hair is nominally straight, working with more curl friendly methods means the leetle bit of wave I have shows up more, and the tangles that used to be my bane show up less. It's worth poking at, since even if you don't get "more" wave, your hair may feel a lot more comfortable and cooperative.

[enfys]

In the UK and rest of Europe, it's called "Repair and Shine". Exact same ingredients (we compared in another thread)! :)

Great! Thanks! I looked Googled about to see if there was a conclusive "this is the same", but couldn't even see anything on Garnier's own site that said it had those oils in!

I'll keep an eye out for special offers. *Ignores this afternoons post in "use up your stash" challenge...*

[tinti]

Have you tried clarifying? I thought I was an 1a/b for years untill I came here. I got myself a clarifying shampoo and a cone free conditioner and washed my hair with it. Then I let it airdry without touching it, and I was really surprised when I looked in the mirror. You could also try a bit of coconut oil, that helps my waves as well. But this is my experience, not every head of hair is like mine (thankfully :p)

[kristymarie87]

So many comments!

I have been experimenting with enhancing the waves, with no luck. Rope braids wont stay because of the layers, neither will bun waves :( I have still been using an SLS and coney poo/condish - but my hair likes them more than without (i went without them for a month and my hair felt brittle and tangly) I didnt brush at all last night, just with my fingers, i did get waves, but full of frizz and still not really "waves".

I cant see how my hair is dry...i CWC and then spray a diluted condish as leave in. I also have a hair mask i use once per week.

My hair is a little damaged but not much. Theres none on the length but a little on the layers. I cant see any splits, just rough hairs - like velcro on the layers.

I might invest in a coney serum!

I tried enhancing the straightness too. Without heat, it just wont go. Hair wrapping takes too long and my hair doesnt want to co operate! Brushing whilst it dries didnt help, it still kinks. The best i can do is use a blowdryer and straightening brush.

I only just bought poo and condish but will invest in repair and shine when its run out (my partner uses way too much so shouldnt be long!)

[LaurelSpring]

I just looked at your profile pics and you have beautiful looking hair! I can actually visualize how it would look much longer. Maybe it would be fun and inspiring to check out the Photoshop your Hair thread and be encouraged by that. Honestly, I think you mostly have a time/growth issue. I think that when you get some more length it will all literally fall into place! :eek:

[spidermom]

From your description of how it behaves, I get the impression that maybe your hair type is coarse rather than medium. Anyway, more length may sort out some of the issues that you're having. At shorter lengths, my hair looked very fluffy rather than wavy or curly, and I had cow licks. At longer lengths, my hair is most definitely wavy, and those cow licks turned into spiral curls.

[kristymarie87]

I just looked at your profile pics and you have beautiful looking hair! I can actually visualize how it would look much longer. Maybe it would be fun and inspiring to check out the Photoshop your Hair thread and be encouraged by that. Honestly, I think you mostly have a time/growth issue. I think that when you get some more length it will all literally fall into place! :eek:

Oh i did that thread back in mayish! Its so hard even with that to tell if it looks good long.....but i have had long hair most of my life up until i had my head shaved. I think it grew so fast before (or seemed to) because i didnt care - i just ignored it....well i did care how it looked but not the length. I straightened everyday and coloured to much but it never looked unhealthy or frizzed etc.

I'm hoping once it grows a bit more it will just fall into place! It stops growing of a while and then i litterally grow an inch in a few weeks!


From your description of how it behaves, I get the impression that maybe your hair type is coarse rather than medium. Anyway, more length may sort out some of the issues that you're having. At shorter lengths, my hair looked very fluffy rather than wavy or curly, and I had cow licks. At longer lengths, my hair is most definitely wavy, and those cow licks turned into spiral curls.

I can never tell what my hair type is....i mean its 1b i think but i dunno if its ii or iii. I think it feels finer because i have so many layers but it does look thick (the single strands) but im still not sure!

I do have 2 annoying cow licks but they are at the root. Mybe once its longer it will be wavy, ehich i look forward to but atm i hate it!!