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dazeydayze
May 19th, 2011, 07:45 PM
A couple years ago I would have been classified as a 3b..
Actually, my main reason for joining this forum was to restore my natural curls that I'm hoping aren't completely lost to damage or other issues (does anyone know if going on and getting off birth control can effect your hair type?).

So far I've been able to repair my hair enough to bring some curls back to life. I've come from a 2b to a 2c since joining LHC. :cheese:

What I'm wondering is..

if it's possible to repair my hair back to its former glory of 3b
how I can speed up this process
things that can help
could damage have been the only cause of this transition?

any help is appreciated
thank you in advance :) !

|Xei
May 19th, 2011, 09:03 PM
From reading this forum, it seems like co-washing has helped to bring out and define curls for many members, so you might want to try that.

If your hair isn't already layered, you might want to get some layers put in. I know of several people who had very limp, frizzy and stretched out hair before putting layers in. After they got their layers done, their curls just sprung back to life, and they became really easy to style.

meowmeow
May 19th, 2011, 09:10 PM
Does your new growth grow out straight or curly? If they're coming out straight it might be hormones. I know that when I hit puberty my hair started to change. I started life with straight hair, but now my hair forms ringlets!

I don't know your hair history or how you style your hair, but I would recommend plopping to help bring out a curl. :)

Springlets
May 19th, 2011, 09:17 PM
I swear we should make this into a Restoring Life to Curls thread or something lol.

I'm in the same boat as you. I definitely notice damage in my hair the most by how much my hair curls. My hair at its healthiest is 3a/3b. I'm growing out from multiple dye jobs, and depending on what products and conditioning i've done for my hair it can be anywhere between a 2c to a 3a. Since coming to LHC and learning about different techniques it doesn't take long for my hair to get back to normal, I just need to stay away from the dye (but it's so hard when it gets brassy!).

Last summer though I also had a lot of damage and the bottom 6 inches or so were just straight as sticks and the curl never came back, so I eventually cut them off. But then again, that was before I knew about LHC...

So yeah, my curls come back when I'm nice to them. SMTs, overnight oilings, honey treatments, flax seed gel, don't use heat, all that stuff. And if I allow them to dry without smushing them all over the place.

Since you've already gotten them from 2b to 2c, I think they will come back. What exactly is the damage from?

My hair's curl went through a lot of transformations while growing up. It started out curly, then from about 7-10 it went pretty straight, but once puberty hit it was back to curly with a vengeance! Since then its pretty much stayed curly except when i've damaged it from too much dye. But I have heard from some women who've lost a lot of their curl after having a baby.

christine1989
May 19th, 2011, 09:47 PM
I used to have curls too and I miss them so much! Unfortunatly mine dissappeared due to simple aging and probobly some hormonal changes when I was around 13-14 so they are gone for good :(. I have noticed a change in texture too though as my hair gets healthier. I assume the change is my hair returning to it's "true" texture. To speed things along I trim when needed so the new textured hair does not have old, dry hair weighing it down. SLS has also been my enemy on the way to better texture- it makes hair (especially curls) frizz and dry out like crazy.

dazeydayze
May 19th, 2011, 09:48 PM
I have made the transition to CO washing. I do use baking soda, acv rinses, coconut oil, SMT, and EVOO though. I think all these things have definitely helped in the restoration.

For a while i've been considering going all one length.. but now I'm thinking layers are the way to go. thank you lXei

meowmeow, I have part of my head shaved, which is nice for investigating my new growth. It has grown out about an inch and appears to have some sort of wild side to it. *fingers crossed* I will definitely give plopping a go!

Springlets, reading your story has led me to believe that I am just suffering from damaged hair ^^; what a relief. My damage is from heat and dye mainly, but I did treat my hair TERRIBLY. Too bad I didn't appreciate what I had!

Hopefully a few more trims will help bring some life back to my curls. :D

dazeydayze
May 19th, 2011, 09:53 PM
I used to have curls too and I miss them so much! Unfortunatly mine dissappeared due to simple aging and probobly some hormonal changes when I was around 13-14 so they are gone for good :(. I have noticed a change in texture too though as my hair gets healthier. I assume the change is my hair returning to it's "true" texture. To speed things along I trim when needed so the new textured hair does not have old, dry hair weighing it down. SLS has also been my enemy on the way to better texture- it makes hair (especially curls) frizz and dry out like crazy.

Oh gosh and I used to be an avid SLS user! Head & Shoulders was my goto product for dandruff, and I was soooo ashamed of my dandruff that I overused H&S. And by overused I mean I would shampoo my hair twice everyday. *shiver* -eep!- that method definitely contributed to my damage and crunchy ends.

gthlvrmx
May 19th, 2011, 09:57 PM
it is completely possible, have faith and lots of patience! i lost my curls :( last year, i had waves and people kept telling me that i had waves or if i straightened it. No, i just wore a ponytail every day and ruined it all, horrible hair care i had.
After trimming off the damage i could take off, protein treatments, moisturizing treatments(which are AMAZING on my curls), proper handling of the hair, i have gotten my curls back and more! I knew i was 3a :p

lastnite
May 19th, 2011, 10:09 PM
I had really curly hair when I was younger. In my teens I hated it so I used chemical straighteners, flat irons, blow dryers, plus coloring and bleaching.

Then the long hair bug hit and I stopped all that, but my curls never really returned. I still have some wave, but nothing compared to how curly it was. Not sure if it's just age and hormones or if all the damage affected my hair roots and how my hair grew. I miss my curls now, wish I would of known how to take better care of my hair back then. :(

Not to be a downer...just sharing my experience :)

dazeydayze
May 19th, 2011, 11:06 PM
it is completely possible, have faith and lots of patience! i lost my curls :( last year, i had waves and people kept telling me that i had waves or if i straightened it. No, i just wore a ponytail every day and ruined it all, horrible hair care i had.
After trimming off the damage i could take off, protein treatments, moisturizing treatments(which are AMAZING on my curls), proper handling of the hair, i have gotten my curls back and more! I knew i was 3a :p

YES! Your success story brought my hopes up to 100%
hopefully my curls return after some pleading and pampering :p


I had really curly hair when I was younger. In my teens I hated it so I used chemical straighteners, flat irons, blow dryers, plus coloring and bleaching.

Then the long hair bug hit and I stopped all that, but my curls never really returned. I still have some wave, but nothing compared to how curly it was. Not sure if it's just age and hormones or if all the damage affected my hair roots and how my hair grew. I miss my curls now, wish I would of known how to take better care of my hair back then. :(

Not to be a downer...just sharing my experience :)

Aw.. I hope hormones/age isn't the case for me and this is something I can control.. Either way i'll be glad my hair is healthy now :)

gthlvrmx
May 19th, 2011, 11:09 PM
I remember reading a thread of this red haired woman here who always thought she had wavy ish hair, barely wave near the bottom. After LHC and taking care of her hair, almost 2 years later i believe, her hair is curlier than mine! She never knew she had curly hair :p It was such an inspirational thing to read :)

Mesmerise
May 19th, 2011, 11:12 PM
Is your hair longer or shorter now than it was when it was curlier? Interestingly, some people's hair seems to be curlier when longer, and others when shorter. My hair is definitely curlier when shorter... I used to lose at least 3" to curl when I had it cut to just past my shoulders (looked like I had a bob and sat above my shoulders when it was dry...it didn't look nearly so short when they cut it!!), but now it seems straighter.

Of course I also have some damage and stuff...so really I just don't know! (I never had super curly hair... but I would have said 2c when it was shorter... down to a 2a, maybe a bit 2b now).

I am working towards having all natural hair eventually...but because I henna, and some people say henna can straighten hair a bit, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get 100% healthy hair texture...

dazeydayze
May 20th, 2011, 03:53 PM
Is your hair longer or shorter now than it was when it was curlier? Interestingly, some people's hair seems to be curlier when longer, and others when shorter. My hair is definitely curlier when shorter... I used to lose at least 3" to curl when I had it cut to just past my shoulders (looked like I had a bob and sat above my shoulders when it was dry...it didn't look nearly so short when they cut it!!), but now it seems straighter.

Of course I also have some damage and stuff...so really I just don't know! (I never had super curly hair... but I would have said 2c when it was shorter... down to a 2a, maybe a bit 2b now).

I am working towards having all natural hair eventually...but because I henna, and some people say henna can straighten hair a bit, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get 100% healthy hair texture...

My curls always seemed to be the same, long or short, back then. I'm trying to grow straight up virgin hair too ! :D


I remember reading a thread of this red haired woman here who always thought she had wavy ish hair, barely wave near the bottom. After LHC and taking care of her hair, almost 2 years later i believe, her hair is curlier than mine! She never knew she had curly hair :p It was such an inspirational thing to read :)

Sounds like a dream! I guess I just need some patience :p

elbow chic
May 20th, 2011, 04:16 PM
Is your hair longer or shorter now than it was when it was curlier? Interestingly, some people's hair seems to be curlier when longer, and others when shorter. My hair is definitely curlier when shorter... I used to lose at least 3" to curl when I had it cut to just past my shoulders (looked like I had a bob and sat above my shoulders when it was dry...it didn't look nearly so short when they cut it!!), but now it seems straighter.



Same here. I have a picture of the cut I got right after my youngest child was born-- it looks shoulder/flip length though I know it wasn't that short wet. Probably APL wet. It had ringlets! Even doused in silicones, it's clearly 2c in that picture.

Now it's too long for ringlets. Looks more 2a. might have to try curly girl method sometime, see what I get.