1Cs: Do you wear it wavy or straight?

[yuccalyptus]

Or just embrace the somewhere-in-between?

My 1C hair can get really wavy when I let it drip dry without combing it. I've even had great almost-curly results when plunking when my hair is about 80% dry--but as soon as my hair finishes drying, the waves disappear and I'm left with a stringy mess that looks like it needs to be brushed. *sigh* And in the end I almost always end up feeling like I've damaged it in some way because it is tangled by this point.

On the converse, when I comb my hair when its damp and then flip it dry (80's head-banger style), it will come out overall straight but still have wavy kinks throughout. *sigh again*

I can't win! I just want my hair to make up it's mind.

Any 1C's (or 1B's or 2A's) have a similar experience? And better yet--have any of you found a solution?

[eadwine]

Yeah I hear ya, I have to comb it out or it'll be a tangled mess when dry. I can do the combing both dry and wet, but yeah.. either way it's messy.

I learn to live with it looking straighter than it is because of having to comb it out, but I would rather have it do its natural thang though.

I console myself with the baby hairs, they are let loose and go spiraly freely :lol:

[Cinnamon Hair]

Any 1C's (or 1B's or 2A's) have a similar experience? And better yet--have any of you found a solution?

just embrace the somewhere-in-between?

That's what I do on the rare occasion I wear my hair down in public. I like that it has body. If I comb too much it is stick straight, or none at all and it takes a year to dry while my shirt (and back end ;) ) get drenched.

[talullah]

I'm a 2a and I find it so much easier just to straighten it slightly, using a blowdryer. (Although I can get it pretty straight by leaning back against a chair or pillow while it's damp.) Trying to enhance what little wave I possess is a massive endeavor which usually fails anyways. :shrug: It's just so much easier to wear it straight IMO. Also, my hair tangles a lot less when straight, so that's a bonus.

[lilalong]

The only way my hair behaves is if I bunn it when it's still wet. I get fairly straight hair all over and some spiral curls at the length. My hair is comparably short though.

[joyful373]

Well after realizing that I am a 1c or even a 2 something, I have embraced my waviness. I just wish sometimes that it would decide ;)

Mostly I wear my hair in updos (braids or buns) so when it is down it is mainly drying from being washed. I detangle gently when damp, but then I leave it be. I scrunch it up and let the waves happen. If I wait to detangle when it's dry my hair will be very wavy, but knotted. Then the waves all come out when combed and I'm left with stick straight hair.

I agree with eadwine. I love my baby hairs :)

[basak]

I use cones to make my hair 1a/b straight, I don't like wavy hair on me because it's not wavy enough. My hair just has irregular kinks without cones.

[AJoifulNoise]

Usually I either go with braid waves or mostly straight hair. If I'm going for straight hair I let my hair dry untouched then comb it out. This leaves me with a bit of body wave, while getting rid of fuzz.

[Raederle]

I leave my hair uncombed until totally dry, and then, if I carefully comb, the waves stay in. Very rarely, I wear my hair loose for the extremely appreciative husband. But generally, I wear my hair up, and the combing involved in putting it up pulls out the wave.

[NormaRose]

Ugh, I've been struggling with this for a long time. I recently discovered that I can get some decent waves if I don't comb my hair when wet (I fingercomb it a bit when it's about 90% dry) - so lately I've been wearing it wavy-ish on wash day, and then combing it out straight (or putting it up in a bun) on non-wash days.

Great thread, yuccalyptus - thanks for starting it! :)

[mommy2one05]

Yes thanks for starting this thread.
I am still trying to get a good routine going for my 1ish hair.
Normally I comb several times when it's wet and in the drying time ( which is several hours).
I am gonna keep an eye on this thread for tips to try.

[Shorty89]

I usually comb it after washing because otherwise it tangles. I like the waves it gives though. I usually like damp bunning. It gives me better waves and body. If I comb it straight I usually get weird kinks in the ends. Ah the funs of being 1c

[justgreen]

My waves always fall out when I comb it, even after washing. So I'm just a straightie, I just live with it and embrace it.

[yuccalyptus]

Thanks so much everyone for replying! It is great to see that other people know exactly what I'm talking about.

I think overall, I am better off embracing the straight rather than the wavy because it keeps my hair smoother and less tangled. But man, what I would give to have some awesome 2b waves sometime...:tongue:

basak mentioned that cones make her hair straighter. If I remember correctly I have had the same experience with cones.

Has anyone ever tried putting their hair up in big rollers to smooth out the waves?

[Tangles]

I like damp braiding--my hair ends up wavy, but in a controlled manner, whereas if I just leave it down to dry, I get irregular, stringy, barely-there waves that make it look like I just got out of bed. Disgusting! Using the right shampoo also makes a difference--when my hair is long and heavy, using a coney shampoo takes me to like a 1b at times.

Pinning up sections of hair in a certain way also straightens a bit, if you do it while your hair is only a little damp.

[Katze]

I love being a wavy! For years I just thought my hair had "bumps" - now as it gets longer I have stretched out double helix ringlets and even waves in the crown!

Because I was stick-straight as a kid, and my hair only started going wavier in my late 20s, I feel like the poster kid for 1cs/2as - you CAN be wavy. The great thing about waves with fine/thin hair is that it looks like you have more hair.

Here's what I do:
1)go to bed with damp hair. Since I shower evenings, and my fine hair dries quickly; I keep a towel wrapped around it. This increases wave and body. I do occasionally (once a month?) blowdry, like last night, because I am COLD, but focus on roots/scalp and ears and use low heat.
2) DON'T touch or comb hair while drying.
3) scrunch! Scrunch with water, scrunch after misting, scrunch with aloe or oil. Scrunching encourages my waves too.
4) aloe, hair gel, leave-in (I use Goth Rosary), misting and *light!!* oiling (olive or coconut.
5) I've left off 'cones as they pulled my waves out and also made my scalp itchy.
6) comb, don't brush. I have to comb freshly washed hair *when it's dry* or it looks stringy and ratty, but brushing kills my waves

hth!

[meliora]

Yes, this thread is for me. My hair is "bendy" and very coarse too, and it is hard to make it stay either wavy or straight. I usually just embrace the slight waviness and "bends", so to say :) I have fluffy hair, which I actually like. I occasionally blowdry to make my hair straighter, or just sleep on it.

[Katze]

I forgot to mention 'skipping curls' too - winding your hair up into a ringlet, then letting them fall again, then 'skipping' like you skip rope. It seems to work well for hair like mine that 'takes suggestions' easily, but really gives ringlets that stay!

[Nat242]

I don't wear my hair down much, but if I do, it's usually got braid or bun waves in it. My hair is enough of a '2' that I can't get it truly straight without heat anyway, so if it's down, it's always a little wavy.

I've discovered recently that detangling works best on dry hair for me - I'll only fingercomb a little after I wash, before damp bunning.

-- Natalie

[Angellen]

The same happens to me when my hair dries. When I comb it, there are no 'waves', but loads of lumps and bumps. Even a thorough BBB workout can't get me 1a hair, anymore. It always flips out at the ends or the sides and leaves bumps in between.

I get gorgeous 'Hollywood hair' by bunning, though. I don't damp bun or braid because my hair NEVER dries, but bunning dry looks great.

I tend to stick with wavy. My hair is more keen on becoming wavier than stick straight, although it also looks lovely that way.

[Minx]

I try to ignore it to be honest. I braid every night so I have constant braid waves in my hair. If I want it straighter I will damp bun at night. I'll still have waves but they aren't as close together so it looks much straighter and sleeker.

[amaiaisabella]

This is definitely me! I can get some great waves if I let it air dry and not comb at all- but if I sleep on the waves, or try to comb it at all- POOF! Goodbye :(

I tried braiding it when wet and coated in leave-in conditioner, but that left very kinky hair that did not remotely resemble waves and was frizzy to boot.

If I comb it when wet, then I get straight hair with one lone wave at the bottom (as you can see from my sig). *sigh* Oh well.

[unaspenser]

This is such a good thread! I usually dry totally untouched, and I've found that adding aloe and oil (I usually use some of kimberlily's defrizz spray followed by a light coconut oiling) and scrunching help encourage extra waves. I usually fluff up the hair so it's not stuck to my scalp, encourage the part to be where I want it, and leave my hair alone. My waves did seem to pull straight with cones and after an updo or braid they're gone, but if I can be gentle I get some nice spirals.

[froglet]

Excellent thread!
I go back and forth about changing my hairtyping to a 1c, but since my hair can occasionally go from a very straight 1a to a solid 1c, I figured I'd just stick in the middle.

My waves are most apparent after I clarify, especially if I sleep with it wet. I can actually get a little spiral action going when I do that.
If I comb or mess with it too much when wet my little waves lessen to lumps and bumps. Since I no longer use cones, it's kind of rare when my hair goes 1a, but it does happen.

Usually I just leave it lumpy, the longer it gets the more apparent the waves are.

Scrunching and plopping didn't work too well for me, my hair just ends up stringy looking.

Oh and one side of my hair (the right) is wavier than the other. And my wave "lumps" are slanted, kind of like waves at the beach coming in at an angle.

Weird hair, but I love it! :lol:

[Hastings]

I really like bun waves on my hair. It seems to make more even waves. Recently, my hair has been much more wavy than straight so I have been using curl stuff and scrunching and it looks really wavy with some curls. I can also get my hair to be straighter by doing what most of you do- combing it straight. It will have some kinks but. . .if i will want it straight I will blowdry it a bit.

The joys of wavy hair!

[Teresa9000]

My hair is relatively straight when I blowdry it (which I don't do anymore since joining TLHC) and it gets lumpy and bumpy after I go outside in the humidity. If I let it air-dry I get lumps and bumps that are closer to waves, but they don't look decent. If I braid my hair and leave it overnight I get nasty looking "did you even comb your hair?" waves most of the time, and then an hour later my hair is straighter than it would have been if I'd left it down.

I haven't noticed a difference in washing it with cones or non-cones yet. When I used Redkin shampoo about seven years ago, I noticed my hair was a lot wavier (or more lumpy/bumpy, my memory's not that clear) than on other shampoo, but at that time my hair was around shoulder length and (probably) damaged from highlights.

[freznow]

I try to ignore it to be honest. I braid every night so I have constant braid waves in my hair. If I want it straighter I will damp bun at night. I'll still have waves but they aren't as close together so it looks much straighter and sleeker.

That's about me. I have braid waves most of the time, and they look nice, if a bit odd...

If I don't contain my hair in some way while it dries, it gets all over the place with flyaways and unkempt fluffiness. The almost wave is rather annoying... I like damp bunning best, it gives sleek waves.

[Anje]

I just let mine do its thing when I decide to leave it down. I don't leave it down all that often, though.... Braid and bun waves look funny because they always start with a big kink where the braid or bun was started, then go down in a relatively muted fashion from there. (French or dutch braids give better waves!)

[mommy2one05]

For those with straighter hair: do you still deal with alot of frizzyness or poufiness? I know they always say curly hair is frizz prone, but my hair is 1ish and I deal with this alot. If you have this product too, what helps to combat it? I have started using a john freida frizz ease serum but not sure how much it is really helping.

[joyful373]

Wow.. neat comments! I agree with froglet.. my hair is wavier on one side than the other too. My left side is wavier. Also, I have the strange twisty blobs that happen if I dry my hair untouched. They drive me nuts. (Tangles I think you mentioned them too).
As far as dealing with frizzies, it really depends on the humidity, and whether or not my hair is freshly washed. I usually don't do anything to fight it. If I use a leave in or product I look like a drowned rat. I just oil the ends.

and I just have to laugh at the "I leave my hair down for my appreciative husband" comment, because that's another "me too!" Otherwise it's always up.

[Teresa9000]

My hair is straight with a bit of semi-waves. When it gets hot and humid and I'm outside a lot, my hair gets poufy, especially around the ends and sides of my face, not so much on top. Not as much as someone with curls might get, but I can tell a difference. It doesn't bother me too much yet, so I really haven't tried to fix it. Sometimes it helps to comb it out when I get back into an air conditioned building.

[DMARTINEZ]

I'm a 2a and I find it so much easier just to straighten it slightly, using a blowdryer. (Although I can get it pretty straight by leaning back against a chair or pillow while it's damp.) Trying to enhance what little wave I possess is a massive endeavor which usually fails anyways. :shrug: It's just so much easier to wear it straight IMO. Also, my hair tangles a lot less when straight, so that's a bonus.


Exactly! Trying to get my waves to come out makes for a frizzy mess. I think
Im more straight than wavy sometimes. I hate my frizz,so smoothing it straight
helps.

Deb

[Teresa9000]

If I may ask a question,
for those of you who say you dry it in a bun to bring out the waves, what kind of bun is it, and where do you set it at on your head? I've tried this method in the past and it waves, but it doesn't look good at all. I'll have weird waves from where the bun started at, or it just waves over to one side. Do you use a scrunchy to avoid hair band marks?
Not sure if this was very clear...

[mommy2one05]

If you try to straighten it a bit with a blowdryer on cool or a flatiron on a very low setting will you still get damage to your hair?

[Shorty89]

I just do whatever bun I want. A good old cinnomon bun works best for even waves. I personally like the body that I get from a figure eight.

[Carolyn]

I always use a wide tooth comb to detangle when wet. I can't imagine letting it dry and not combing it. I like it straighter more than I like it wavier. If it was a bit wavier I might try to embrace the waviness more. I love it when it's straightened to stick straightness. I blow dry now and then when I get high lights at the salon I let her blow dry and straighten my hair. I love it like that. I don't like braid waves so I'd never wear my hair down with that kind of a wave. Bun waves are good with me, though. I do a cinnamon bun on slightly dampish hair and leave it in a few hours. I get loose smooth waves.

[danacc]

I enjoyed reading what y'all do and how your hair reacts.

I embrace my waves. I sleep with a braid, and it's always up for most of the day. I like the body that the waves give when it's up. It keeps the do's from being too severe.

During the times that it is down, it has just-dried-and-detangled waves and end-flips, or stronger braid waves or bun waves which it holds like nobody's business. It latches on to any suggestion to wave. I like the appearance of added volume that the waves give. (And I can use whatever I can get!)

It definitely waves more when it's hot and humid. And I will get ringlets in the baby hair along my hair line when it's up, which is fun. Although when it doesn't form ringlets, the natural hairline fringe is something of an uncontrolled mess.

I detangle dry hair only. I always detangle before washing, then again after it has dried. I finger comb and then use a wide-toothed comb to detangle. 'Cones weigh it down, and it doesn't like them, anyway, so I steer clear of conditioners that contain them. I don't notice much of a difference when they're near the end of the ingredients list in shampoos.

If I comb when it's still a little damp, I can coax it to look more like straight hair with body. But I rarely want that look, anyway. I've come to love the casual look of the waves.

[froglet]

When I damp bun for waves I either cinnamon bun it or I pull it back as if to ponytail then split the hair into two sections. I cinnamon bun one section clockwise, then take the left over section and wrap it around the first (bunned) section in the opposite direction (counter clockwise). Then I use an octopus clip to hold the bun in place so that I don't get "dents" in the hair. This makes beautiful, even waves.

Of course, this may not work once my hair gets too much longer because I'm using the large size octopus clip and it's getting a mite too small already.

When everybody says fullness, do you mean lots of body? I actually like when that happens, in the humidity my hair gets positively bouncy and big. I encourage it! :lol:

Maybe it's because my hair didn't start getting wavy until a few years ago. Up until then it was very straight. The wave is a bit of a novelty for me.

My hair doesn't really get frizzy, but I do get flyaways, especially right after wash day when my hair is very clean. I just slick them down with a bit of jojoba oil.

[Masara]

If I finger comb only and scrunch while it's drying, I can get some good waves, but whatever I do the first couple of inches are always straight and quite flat to my head which looks a bit odd if I have sticking out waves after.
What ever I do, the waves droop gradually during the day leaving me with more or less straight hair with added odd lumps and bumps.
I prefer combing while wet. I still get the lumps and bumps, but they are more under control

[unaspenser]

For those with straighter hair: do you still deal with alot of frizzyness or poufiness? I know they always say curly hair is frizz prone, but my hair is 1ish and I deal with this alot. If you have this product too, what helps to combat it? I have started using a john freida frizz ease serum but not sure how much it is really helping.

I don't really get frizz... I do have some spiraly baby hairs, but I think they're pretty. I do like some pouf/bounce/body, so I don't really think of this as a problem. I have used frizz ease before, but it was too heavy for my hair.

[jel]

I mostly leave my hair down to dry naturally after washing, so it's wavy the first day. Then I comb in the evening, braid for sleeping, and wear it up the next couple of days.

This method, however, is not working great any more, as my waves get all tangled by the evening and it takes to much time to comb. Similarly, if I wet bun without combing, my hair is still damp and tangled in the evening. I think I will have to comb while wet, which then looks like this picture (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=40&pictureid=12010).

[dor3girl]

Mine is mostly straight but the ends will curl if I "plop" it. Also, I get beautiful waves if I put my hair in a bun while the hair is a little damp (with or without styling products). Your hair has more curl than mine, but try the twisted bun thing with some alcohol-free mousse & see if that works for you...

[dor3girl]

If I may ask a question,
for those of you who say you dry it in a bun to bring out the waves, what kind of bun is it, and where do you set it at on your head? I've tried this method in the past and it waves, but it doesn't look good at all. I'll have weird waves from where the bun started at, or it just waves over to one side. Do you use a scrunchy to avoid hair band marks?
Not sure if this was very clear...

Ketylo sticks or bone sticks--don't use wood if your hair will be damp (it might warp the wood). Twisted bun wrapped around itself (ends of hair on the outside of the bun)

[paper]

Great thread! When I was younger I had stick straight hair. Now that I'm growing it again, Ive noticed some waves going on. I'm not sure if I'm a 1c or 2a. Maybe when my hair gets a little longer, I can tell what these waves are going to do? I've noticed some of my progress pics, my hair is straight and others are wavy. I've got some great tips on this thread and am going to try to bring the waves out more.

[Aronomy]

I wear my 1C hair straight most of the time. All it takes to achieve atleast 1B hair for me is to comb it every hour or so as it dries. This makes sure it doesnt dry in a strange way, every strand dries flat. I find straight is easier to deal with when dry because you can feel free to brush it and it's easier for updos.

[Tangles]

I'm a 2A/B, but I have a similar dilemma. When I comb constantly while drying, I get mostly straight but pretty bumpy hair. When I do anything else, it's wavy or even curly. Right now I'm wearing my hair in braid waves often (which stretches out my length); other types of waves make my hair look much shorter than it is.

I occasionally do wrapping for straightening; it's as effective as blowdrying on cool. But I prefer wavy. It goes with my face better.

[Stagecoach]

Well, I dont' have true 1C hair... mine fluctuates between 1b and 1c, but since my hair is generaly in a cinna bun or braided bun, it's usually more on the wavy side.

[UP Lisa]

I don't ever try to get rid of my waves. I'm so happy to have them after thinking my hair was straight my whole life. Since my hair is baby-fine, it helps to have some wave in it to make it look not quite so flat.

The only time I see my natural waves is after I wash it, and before I put it up or braid it for the night. Generally it has braid waves in it, since I always braid it for the night.

[Anathema]

I think I am a 2b, or 2b depending on the mood of my hair. I always try to get it as curly as possible after washing it (by just letting it air dry for a short eternity), but the curls generally die about 24h after the wash.

Third day after wash is still wavy. Fifth day it's pretty straight with a few really big waves at the end, with the rest of the hair being almost straight. I want my waves and curls!

[plainjanegirl]

I try to comb mine frequently while it is drying. If it has even a bit of wave in it then it just makes my frizz issues worse-ah!

[Islandgrrl]

I don't ever really deliberately make my hair straighter than it naturally wants to be. I detangle it and then put it up in a bun, so it looks really straight up top, but then I get the crazy bun waves down lower. If I were to just let it dry, the waves would be really disorganized and spazzy. My avatar is fairly accurate. I have one spot in front on the left that's kind of like a loose spiral, but the rest is just chaos.

[trolleypup]

Or just embrace the somewhere-in-between?
I prefer not to touch my hair til it is dry, so it dries with waves. If it is combed out wet, it still dries with waves. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.

I embrace it as it is.

[tigerlily83]

I used to not like my waves, so I would blowfry and then flatiron to make it 1a-esque... stick straight.

Ever since giving those up, I've also embraced my waves. I think it will only get better as I get to APL length and beyond. Also, I think if I did not touch my hair after drying, it may get wavier .... I should try that sometime if I don't have anywhere to go. :)

[Chromis]

I wear it somewhere in between. I am not willing to damage it just for the sake of straightness, but if I try finger combing it all I get is a stringy, ropey mess. Combing it gives me mostly straightish hair with a body wave which is fairly easy to work with.

[Lilla My]

Another one here just letting my hair do its own thing. :D
That way I can enjoy it when its down - if I decide I want to make it look a certain way I'm heading for a disappointment.
Since learning to use a hairstick I've found one thing that's consistent (and never fails to amuse) - hilarious enormous curls like something off a doll when I take the stick out!

[bgarrison]

i'm still trying to figure out where i naturally fit on the scale, but i love waves so i let mine dry without combing hoping for more waves. sometimes i'll put it wet and lightly oiled into a soft scrunchy for the same purpose.

i just started using shampoo bars tho and they seem to be inhibiting rather than encouraging wave!!! anyone else? i really like the waves, and like the poo bars so far......right now i'm more of a 1b than a 2a........:(

[intothemist1999]

My 1C hair can get really wavy when I let it drip dry without combing it. I've even had great almost-curly results when plunking when my hair is about 80% dry--but as soon as my hair finishes drying, the waves disappear and I'm left with a stringy mess that looks like it needs to be brushed.


Heck, *I* could have written that!! I wish I had either pencil straight hair, or convincing waves. I hate this in-between stuff.

If I let my hair air dry it looks like it MIGHT end up with a bit of wave, but by the time it's completely dried, it just looks dry, stringy, and crinkly. If I comb it, it just looks dried, crinkly, and a bit straighter :shrug:

[Slug Yoga]

I love the texture of my hair. Is texture the right word here? Wave-level? When I think of texture I think of coarse/fine.

Anyway, I like the fact that the slight wave tends to give it some body. If I comb it wet it obviously tends to end up drying straighter than if I end up doing nothing. I generally just let it do its thing, which is ever so slight waviness.

[maibaum]

I make a bun when wet and let the hair dry in there. (This takes the whole day.) Then I get nice, big waves.

[EvaSimone]

If I comb it out while it's drying it will be about 1b but if I scrunch it while it's drying it will be 2a. If I leave it alone and let it dry it will lean much farther towards wavy. I actually enjoy the versatility.

One way I make my hair wavy is to add aloe while it's damp and then make around 4 little buns on top of my head. Let it dry and then take the buns out. They make my hair really pretty and wavy. Unfortunately I am way too lazy to do this very often. :)

[Feng-Shui]

I love my hair with waving of one french braid.

I`m a romantic type.

Feng-Shui:flower:

[Garnet66]

I usually wear mine straight. If i take a brush to it while wet it straightens right up. But if i don't touch it afer washing I can get stringy looking waves. I'm hoping as it gets longer it'll have more waves.

[paper]

Wanted to bump this up.

[howsitgrowin'87]

I find that if I try to comb my hair every few minutes or so, it can be straighter, but it's not a pretty kind of straight. It gets kind of puffy and irritable (my hair has feelings, haha) but it's like it's fighting back. So I think I'm going to start plopping my hair to encourage the slight waves instead of trying to make it straight. Besides, now that it's getting longer, I think I like the waves more since they lay more flat. I'm thankful now for some waves, yay!:cheese:

[paper]

I used to comb my hair every few minutes too, until my hair dryed. Now, I just comb once, and am loving the waves too!

[Pixna]

That's an interesting question. It's easier for me to make my hair straighter than it is to make it wavier/curlier. However, I can't completely get rid of the waves no matter what I do. My hair will never be stick straight. I use a leave-in gel that is very lightweight and then comb my hair a few times while it is drying. This keeps the frizzies down, smooths out my hair, and makes it sleeker and shinier. The longer I go without washing, the straighter it seems to get. Right after I wash it is bouncier and fuller and also wavier.

My hair isn't all that long right now, but when it was long before, it behaved similarly. I can trade off straighter hair that isn't fresh and clean for clean hair that is wavier and bouncier, but I prefer the latter.

[plainjanegirl]

I normally comb my hair several times while it is air drying so I guess that makes it more straight.
Don't really know how to encourage waves except braid and braid waves are hit and miss for my hair.

[Treecrown]

The very existence of this thread makes me feel better. I was wondering what was wrong with my hair!

[Naava]

I would love to have wavy hair, but if I try to go with the wavyer look with my hair, it just looks bad. Makes my hair look thinner, stringy, less shiny and frizzy, so I comb it while having conditioner on and after it gets dry. By this I mean the natural waves I have, bun and braid waves look nice.

[Elphie]

I like being "in-between"! You wind up with chameleon hair! If I want my hair to be straight, using a coney conditioner (which I don't use on a regular basis) does the trick with little additional effort. If I want to be wavy, shea butter and a little twisting, damp bunning or some magnetic rollers will make it very wavy. I suppose making it straight (for me) is easier, it takes less effort to lose my wave than to enhance it, but making it wavier isn't terribly hard either.

Most of the time, my hair would be considered straighter. No matter which way I'm wearing it, I never fully lose the waves at the bottom, and I have more on the right side of my head than the left.

Interesting thread!

[Peter]

Well I've got a habit of combing my hair several times a day, so if I just let it air dry, it'll end up 1b/1c down the length and the ends will flip out. I think it looks messy with the ends like that so I braid it. If I braid it dry I can sometimes even get it to look 1a. If I braid it damp it'll be 2a/2b, with really obvious waves. But then I comb it and the waves stretch out a bit. That's my favorite look, because it gets tangled and kind of frizzy with 2a/2b.

As someone else said though, it's "hit or miss". Sometimes braiding dry will leave it 1b/1c with straight ends (which I don't mind). Also, braiding damp can make it really wavy or just a bit... it varies a lot.

[dearladydisdain]

I wear it straight...my hair is only wavy when I dry it a certain way and use no cones.

[Leabhar]

Great thread. Sounds like you have versatile hair! You just need to find the tricks that work to give you straight hair or wavy/curly hair when you need it.

My anecdotal input is: When I used cones, I had 1a Final Fantasy hair (lol), but cone-free, my hair is more...suggestible.

If I want stick-straight hair, I will wash, apply jojoba oil on the ends/length and comb dry. If I didn't have time to air-dry, I would dry my hair with the "chill" button on the hair dryer and whether I've oiled it or not, the hair will be stick straight.

If I want waves, I can go with damp or dirty hair and use bee-butt buns, or deep wave-method, or any other styling trick to make my hair wavy/curly.

I don't like braids for waves because the ends are straight while the rest of the length is nice and wavy (or kinky), but braids are great for sleeping in.

A plain old bun worn all day gives me a giant sausage curl that I can loosen to make smaller sausage curls or comb out/brush out for loose waves.

The tools you use may be important, too: wide-tooth, snag free comb, finger combing, a gentle brush, and so on.

[Nightshade]

Wavy! I use a mister with Aubry Organics Sea Buckthorn Detangler and CUrl enhancer in it, then bun my hair. Awesome bun waves :D

[getoffmyskittle]

I just let it do its thing. I'm typed as a 2a/2b I think but as it gets longer it leans more and more to 1c/2a. The only reason I haven't changed it is because it still holds waves/kinks from updos really well and because the very ends frequently dry curly.

I can't get it to go properly wavy or properly straight unless I use braid waves or a flatiron, so I don't have much choice.

[Juliet's Silk]

If I let my hair air dry it looks like it MIGHT end up with a bit of wave, but by the time it's completely dried, it just looks dry, stringy, and crinkly. If I comb it, it just looks dried, crinkly, and a bit straighter :shrug:

Hah good description, that's exactly how it is. :D
I never wear hair freshly washed down anymore because it's just WILD. Hair that has been tamed by a bun works better, but not by much.
Guess I will never find the miracle solution...

[Sissy]

I'm a 2a and I find it so much easier just to straighten it slightly, using a blowdryer. (Although I can get it pretty straight by leaning back against a chair or pillow while it's damp.) Trying to enhance what little wave I possess is a massive endeavor which usually fails anyways. :shrug: It's just so much easier to wear it straight IMO. Also, my hair tangles a lot less when straight, so that's a bonus.

I used to do this. However, I've tried to stop using my blowdryer so now it's just air drying and looking uneven 1/2 waves which are messy looking and frizzy. Perhaps I need to embrace the blowdryer again. I'm not ready to go there yet though... and am still looking for ways to enable my hair to dry smoother, sleeker, straighter.


I use cones to make my hair 1a/b straight, I don't like wavy hair on me because it's not wavy enough. My hair just has irregular kinks without cones.

Using cones is an option I've been toying with, even if I just use a leave in cone serum of some sort. I know when summer comes with all it's humidity it may be easier to do some light blowdrying on a cool setting or using cone products as my hair tens to get super frizzy in summer and it might be a tangley mess if allowed to air dry... I'll have to wait and see.

The other reason I'm toying with going back to cones is the extensive damage my hair seems to have without them... I am cutting off split ends and splits I find inches up my hair on a regular basis. I can't help but wonder if it's because I went cone free in December.

[ale]

I definitely love my waves, and when my hair is down I go for the wavy look; if it's too messy, i brush it, then make a ponytail, twist it tightly and wnen I let all down the waves come out better than before!

[sneakybea]

I'm never sure whether I have typed my hair properly, but it's definitely one of those in between types. It used to be curlier when it was shorter---now the waves are kind of meandering, or else I just have a lot of volume.
I don't like my hair much straight, because it's fine and doesn't look like there is as much of it. And if I blow dry it, it gets straight and yet frizzy, which may not make much sense but is unpleasant. I like to detangle it after washing, let it dry partially then twist it up in a high bun. The bun creates waves and volume.
I'm happy for this thread---us in-betweeners need love, too!

[Pixna]

Sneakybea, long time no see!!! :D

What you said makes perfect sense. It sounds exactly how my hair behaves -- which I guess is what makes us in-betweeners!

[Katze]

I just let it do its thing. I'm typed as a 2a/2b I think but as it gets longer it leans more and more to 1c/2a. The only reason I haven't changed it is because it still holds waves/kinks from updos really well and because the very ends frequently dry curly.

I can't get it to go properly wavy or properly straight unless I use braid waves or a flatiron, so I don't have much choice.

Me too! Add to that super fine crown hair, and my hair likes to fly all over the place no matter what I do.

Braid waves look terrible on me - flat top, kinked length - but I have gotten good results with bendy curlers or (pre LHC) the curling iron.

Lately I have been wearing it down and wavy (body/loose waves on crown, spiral waves at ends) on days 1-3 after washing, then brushed, oiled, and 'straighter' - more like 1c - on 'dirtier' days. However, my hair does what IT wants, and I have to base my day's hairdo on what IT is doing, not what I want. :D

How I wash my hair, too, and how I treat it after washing, especially when it's wet and the first days, but also how I wear it at night, also affects the amount of wave it has.

[Katrina]

Same hairtype here too (1b/1c/F/M/ii). My hair is almost straight because of its heaviness (long enough, finally :D). It didn't look nice in my opinion when it was shorter than BSL. It never was really wawy but "unmanageable"´: poofy, flyaway, stringy,...

My bangs is curly (because it's short, of cource) and I have to use flat iron if I want to keep it down.

So length is the solution ;). At least for me.

[skay]

Due to wavy-straight thing, I always wear my hair up/in braids. Perhaps when it gets longer and has more weight, I'll wear it down more often.

My hair looks kind of fluffy and straight when down. Basically: no shape.

I prefer to bring out the waves (which shows up when wet).

But rather than go through the trouble of putting aloe gel or something like that in it and preserving the waves, I just put up my hair and/or wear it in braids (that and I prefer my hair up at work).

[catfish]

I much prefer my hair wavy but getting it that way on purpose is not always easy. I love brushing:o the tangles would be horrendous without it, but it does make my hair straighter. I can't plop as my hair is too long for that and makes more tangles.

Sometimes, if I dampen my hair after brushing with a spray bottle of filtered water my hair will dry wavier, and dry faster.

[twilight_faerie]

I prefer my hair super straight, but I need a flat iron to get it that way. If I let my hair dry without combing it while it's drying, it gets pretty wavy. If I do comb it while it's drying, it's mostly straight with the occasional wave...which I think looks pretty dumb.

[HildeMV]

My hair decides that. :p
It's like it has its own free will.

If it's frizzy wavy and not pretty wavy( if that makes sense), I smooth it out straight.

[Darkhorse1]

I just let my hair do what it wants. :D
For some reason, my hair has gotten much, much wavier/curlier as I've aged. My hair loves to dry like so: Spiral ringlets in the front, waves at the side and this 1 section of hair right at the back that is dead straight. nice huh?

Lately, if I use Pantene moisture renewel conditioner, this seems to bring OUT my spirals! Also, if I don't comb it out wet with a wide tooth comb, it seems to get curlier. I find that if I comb it out after I let it dry a touch, then twist it into an updo, then take it down, the waves are most controlable. I wash at night, so by morning, my hair is perfect. Has body, shine, but not greasy or poofy. :D

[unaspenser]

skay, you may find that as your hair gets longer the wave gets more defined. When my hair was shorter it just kind of looked like I had bed-head if I tried to let the wave come out. Now that it's rather long and much healthier I get really nice s-waves with spirals in my ends. I love my natural wave now!

[gibsongirl71]

I wear my wavy. It is too much work to straighten it and in the Pacific NW the damp just puts the wave right back in.

[skay]

Hi Una, thanks for your insights. And congrats on your waves and spiral ends!

This weekend I wore my hair down and coaxed out the waves and spirals with coconut oil - it was fun. My hair's slowly reaching that magical length :magic:

When I was in junior high, my long hair was thick and somewhat straight, but now I think I'll have waves in my long hair. Will see how it goes. :)


skay, you may find that as your hair gets longer the wave gets more defined. When my hair was shorter it just kind of looked like I had bed-head if I tried to let the wave come out. Now that it's rather long and much healthier I get really nice s-waves with spirals in my ends. I love my natural wave now!

[ElenTikvah]

Wow...really appreciate this thread!

I realized today for the first time, that my hair is NOT stick straight with an occasional weird bumb (1A/1B).

When I actually allowed it to air-dry, without combing after washing, that I had soft S-waves all over! So, I think I have a lot to learn, and I'm looking forward to seeing what shape my hair takes in the future!

Glad to know that I'm not alone!

~Tik

[sumptuousness]

I have 2a hair that used to be mega wavy but I found that henna (even glossing) kind of trained alot of the wavyness out... now it just kinks in places most of the time rather than being wavy overall. Is this something you can get back while henna is still on your hair? Does anyone know? (ps sorry if this has already been discussed on here!) thanks!