Is it possible I've had curly hair ALL ALONG? mindf***!

[goldcopperbrown]

I have "bone straight hair"...or at least I thought I did. As a little kid it was straight and baby fine, but as I got to be in elementary school, it was fine, dense and wavy, always shiny too. By the time I was 13, I had waist long wavy hair.

But alas at 16 I began to dye it and within 2 years it was bone straight, frizzy and limp. The bleaching did not help. Now at 22, my hair is getting better (I stopped dying it 2 months ago). I'm noticing some waves coming back. In addition my mom has wavy hair and before mine turned straight from the chemicals, she said it looked like hers at my age. I'm starting to wonder if I should be using "curly hair products" since my hair seems to react well to silicone-free, moisture-rich stuff. The kind of products that my straight haired friends love don't work on me...they make my hair plasticy, limp and unmanageable. Any rec's?

[skaempfer]

I have "bone straight hair"...or at least I thought I did. As a little kid it was straight and baby fine, but as I got to be in elementary school, it was fine, dense and wavy, always shiny too. By the time I was 13, I had waist long wavy hair.

But alas at 16 I began to dye it and within 2 years it was bone straight, frizzy and limp. The bleaching did not help. Now at 22, my hair is getting better (I stopped dying it 2 months ago). I'm noticing some waves coming back. In addition my mom has wavy hair and before mine turned straight from the chemicals, she said it looked like hers at my age. I'm starting to wonder if I should be using "curly hair products" since my hair seems to react well to silicone-free, moisture-rich stuff. The kind of products that my straight haired friends love don't work on me...they make my hair plasticy, limp and unmanageable. Any rec's?

Have you tried searching for the curly girl method? Should be lots of info there, also to help you make the most of your wavies. There is a curly girl book, but plenty enough info is available free on the net. For example, in our very own "curly (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369) and wurly" thread :)

[Dragon Faery]

Welcome to wurly land! :)

You might be interested in the curly/wurly thread and the CO-washing thread. I have trouble pasting links from my phone, but they ought to be easy to search for. They're both quite large, and if I remember correctly the first post of each may have been amended to include an overview of the entire thread. If not, there is an overview of CO-washing in the Articles section, I think. You might also want to check out the CWC method. I haven't read any threads on it, but I would suspect there is one.

I forgot to check which continent you're on before replying, but if you're in the USA, there are a lot of cone-free products you can try. The cheapest line that is definitely cone-free is V05. I haven't used theor shampoos, but I personally LOOOVE their conditioners for the first step of CO washing. Another fairly easy to find brand that is definitely cone-free is Nature's Gate. I like some of their conditioners as the second step of a CO wash.

Other brands I feel comfortable recommending as being cone-free and possibly sulfate and paraben-free are Desert Essences, Avalon Organics, and possibly Giovanni. I find all of these at my local health food stores.

I tend not to prefer heavy gels for scrunching to get better waves or curls, so I slather my freshly-washed hair in massive amounts of clear aloe vera gel instead. Hopefully someone else can recommend good gels and other leave-ins if you're interested. :)

My scalp is dry and likes a good oiling every few nights. I'm not sure if that's a curly thing or not. My length loves oil, too. Not necessarily in massive amounts, but definitely more than most straight hair cares for.

I have heard (but can't prove) that Rosemary Essential Oil can encourage hair to curl more. Sometimes I add it to a leave-in right after a wash, but I can't prove it does anything.

Hope that helps a bit. Have fun exploring!

[Bedhead]

I had the same experience, but instead of bleach, I moved to a more humid place at 18 and boing! I had curls, and a lot of them! The only indication of this my entire life was the tuft of curls I had on top of my head as a baby. The interesting thing i I moved back to my home town 6 years later and the curls stuck... well, until I totally hacked them off! :D

[Carrie Ingalls]

I had a slightly similar experience, I always thought my hair was "straight, with a lot of body," imagine my surprise when I did my hair typing photo and discovered that I have wavyish hair! It always looked a lot straighter because I always comb it some while it is drying, which I still do. But it is fun to know that I have the waves.

Enjoy your newly discovered texture!

[lapushka]

I agree with the posters above. Try the CG method! More information's here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

[Anywhere]

I'd say go try out some products for curly/wavy hair if you have the money to spare. More moisture usually isn't a problem for most people, I'd think.

I thought I had wavy hair my whole life, but apparently I am a wurly. I just brushed my hair into "bushy waves" most of my life due to peers telling me I'm gross and dirty for not brushing at least once a day (and even raking their fingers through my hair and tugging on it to show others how "unkempt" i was), so I know that "Woah! my hair is not as straight as I thought!" feeling. :p