Curly redhead with some burning questions!

[rouquine25]

Hi! I joined this community awhile ago, but I never got around to posting (probably because I was intimidated by all you long-haired, beautiful hair experts! :scared: ) I've always had long hair. It's red, wavy/curly, medium thickness, and like most curlies, has the tendency to get pretty dry. I love hair, and I've always had a passion for it (Hence why I am now a cosmetology student! :D) But everyone has their own little routine for their hair, regardless of what the professionals say. But anyway, here are my questions! I'll try not to make this too long!

1. Should I stop using silicones in my conditioner? Or maybe only use them every once and awhile? I've read both sides of the issue, and I'm still not sure. (I already have limited my shampoo use, and my hair has benefited!)

2. Is not trimming your hair okay? I've seen the "non-trimmers" post, and it makes me feel good that I'm not the only one not trimming! I haven't trimmed my hair in over a year. I'm getting married next August, so would it be okay if I didn't trim until then? I do have split ends of course and slight "fairy tale" ends, but I don't really mind, because I'm worried that if I trim my hair it just won't grow as long again! Maybe I'm just paranoid???

3. Best conditioner for strict budget? I can't spend a lot of money on hair stuff because I have a lot of wedding things to take care of! But I've heard the cheapie Suave naturals don't have cones...are they any good? But it always just seems like no matter what I do my hair feels a bit coarse. Is this because I'm still using cones?

Thanks for reading! (Sorry if I posted this in the wrong place!)

[gthlvrmx]

1. It depends on your hair, if it builds up quickly and if it really likes it. Try clarifying first to rid of any build up and use a cone free conditioner and see the results and compare with using cone.

2. It is OK if that's what you want. But keep in mind that eventually the hair will get more breakage and splits and they only travel up and can break off the new length you have gained if not cut off. S&D is a nice thing to try if you don't want to lose length :)

3. Suave Naturals are pretty cheap :) No one can say which conditioner is better for you, only you can find out :) But from the looks of it, your coarse curly hair will need moisture more than anything (helps keep breakage at bay too). The cones could be the reason why it feels bumpy and coarse, but maybe you naturally have coarse hair! Or it could be that you have hard water, find out! If you have coarse hair, you might not really need protein from your conditioner anyways, it will make you hair feels hard and like straw and you will see breakage at the ends a lot. Suave Ocean Breeze and Wild Cherry Blossom do not have protein while Tropical Coconut (many use this one and love it, not me) has protein. Anything that says amino, hydrolyzed wheat, soy, silk is protein. Suave also has a cheap clarfier too :) Again, try the CO washing thread! :D You might find something really good for your hair!

Congratulations with the marriage! :)

[Madora]

I'd trim, slightly, if I were you (although I do not have curly hair).

If you do not trim, eventually your damaged ends will split further up the strand, thus damaging the strand even further. It will continue to split until the entire strand is damaged.

Your hair will grow again after the trim!

Curlies, by nature of their hair structure, take longer to achieve length. Curly hair also breaks more easily and needs to be babied and gently handled.

As for conditioners, I don't know if Tresemme Naturals with Aloe and Avocado (no sillicones) is considered inexpensive..but a little goes a long way, it has a pleasant, light scent, and yields terrific results (I dilute a teaspoon in 8 oz of warm water).

[whitestiletto]

Re: conditioning, have you read any of the threads on oiling? That might really help your dryness/crunchiness. I just tried the ever popular olive oil for the first time and it made my curls much softer and formed them into shiny ringlets. Apple cider vinegar can also make your hair softer. Olive oil and apple cider vinegar are very cheap household items that condition hair.

Thread on Olive Oil vs Coconut Oil
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=37340&highlight=olive+oil

Thread on ACV
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=71915

You might have too much protein, which contributes to crunch, but I don't know as much about that. I think curly hair tends to be more protein-sensitive.

[rouquine25]

S&D is a nice thing to try if you don't want to lose length :)

Suave Ocean Breeze and Wild Cherry Blossom do not have protein while Tropical Coconut (many use this one and love it, not me) has protein. Anything that says amino, hydrolyzed wheat, soy, silk is protein. Suave also has a cheap clarfier too :) Again, try the CO washing thread! :D You might find something really good for your hair!

Congratulations with the marriage! :)

Thanks for your response! I think I will try the S&D method! I just started cosmo and I haven't got my shears yet (and I don't get them for 10 more weeks!) So I'll have to find a pair!

I never knew that protein could make your hair crunchy. I'll probably just try one of the cheapies and see if I like it!

And thanks for the congrats! :)

[rouquine25]

Re: conditioning, have you read any of the threads on oiling? That might really help your dryness/crunchiness. I just tried the ever popular olive oil for the first time and it made my curls much softer and formed them into shiny ringlets. Apple cider vinegar can also make your hair softer. Olive oil and apple cider vinegar are very cheap household items that condition hair.

Thread on Olive Oil vs Coconut Oil
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=37340&highlight=olive+oil

Thread on ACV
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=71915

You might have too much protein, which contributes to crunch, but I don't know as much about that. I think curly hair tends to be more protein-sensitive.

Thanks for the links! I've always wanted to try oil treatments!

[rouquine25]

As for conditioners, I don't know if Tresemme Naturals with Aloe and Avocado (no sillicones) is considered inexpensive..but a little goes a long way, it has a pleasant, light scent, and yields terrific results (I dilute a teaspoon in 8 oz of warm water).

Thanks for the suggestion! I definitely think that would be okay for my budget! :)

[Anje]

Silicones -- it really depends on your hair. You won't have as much slip without them, but some people like me also experience increased dryness with them, and they can eventually build up to the point where treatments don't penetrate well. If you CO wash with silicones, you'll have to shampoo regularly to keep it from building up.

Not trimming is fine, and I think fairytale ends can look really nice on curlier hair. If you can get the splits under control with S&D, all the better, because they can encourage tangling.

I'm not a curly, but I like CO washing with Suave Naturals. Protein gives me some troubles, so I avoid the Tropical Coconut variety, but others find that the protein in that one makes it work the best for them.

Definitely try CO washing, or CWC if your scalp can't handle only cleansing with conditioner -- both will drastically increase the moisture your hair gets. Also, consider leaving a bit of conditioner in your hair, either by not washing it all out or by applying more (whatever works better). That'll give you some curl definition and more moisture than no leave-ins.

ETA: If you want a brain to pick on curly care, GRU is a member here who might be a good place to start. If only because a curly redhead enablinating force sounds fun....

[gthlvrmx]

Thanks for your response! I think I will try the S&D method! I just started cosmo and I haven't got my shears yet (and I don't get them for 10 more weeks!) So I'll have to find a pair!

I never knew that protein could make your hair crunchy. I'll probably just try one of the cheapies and see if I like it!

And thanks for the congrats! :)
You're very welcome. Just flip on a few fav movies and snip away :)
Protein can build up and cause those crunchies, but you can always start over by clarifying :)

[rouquine25]

Silicones -- it really depends on your hair. You won't have as much slip without them, but some people like me also experience increased dryness with them, and they can eventually build up to the point where treatments don't penetrate well. If you CO wash with silicones, you'll have to shampoo regularly to keep it from building up.

Not trimming is fine, and I think fairytale ends can look really nice on curlier hair. If you can get the splits under control with S&D, all the better, because they can encourage tangling.

I'm not a curly, but I like CO washing with Suave Naturals. Protein gives me some troubles, so I avoid the Tropical Coconut variety, but others find that the protein in that one makes it work the best for them.

Definitely try CO washing, or CWC if your scalp can't handle only cleansing with conditioner -- both will drastically increase the moisture your hair gets. Also, consider leaving a bit of conditioner in your hair, either by not washing it all out or by applying more (whatever works better). That'll give you some curl definition and more moisture than no leave-ins.

ETA: If you want a brain to pick on curly care, GRU is a member here who might be a good place to start. If only because a curly redhead enablinating force sounds fun....

Thanks! You made me feel a lot better about my fairy tale ends! I like the way they look too, but I still just want them to be healthy! :) Yeah, I think I'll be avoiding the coconut kind, too. (Too bad! I love the smell of coconut! :( ) But I might as well give CO washing and the Suave products a go! I'm really excited to try it!!! And yes, I love using my conditioner as a leave-in! I already do that, but not always, so now I'll do it every time I wash! (and probably in between!) Haha I love fellow redheads! I will look her up! Thanks so much for your response!

[Cardinal]

Thank you for the links, I have been doing it all wrong. Been using way too much coconut. Going to try evoo and see what the difference is for me.

[rouquine25]

Thank you for the links, I have been doing it all wrong. Been using way too much coconut. Going to try evoo and see what the difference is for me.

I realized I've been doing it wrong too! I thought a lot of protein was a good thing, but I think I've overdone it on the protein and cones! :/ Good luck to you!