Taming Wild Hair

[tiarefleur]

So I'm relatively new to the site and have decided to drop my straightening habit :applause...needless to say it's been a bit of a challenge for my M/C 2c hair.

I've been letting it air dry after washing and conditioning (only combing with a wide tooth comb when wet) and it becomes insanely massive and unmanageable!

Is there anything I can do (drying techniques, products-cone free or not, etc.) to weigh down my APL hair until it grows a bit longer and starts to weigh down on its own?

I've tried COing with no luck (even without shampoo, cone-free conditioner is too light for my hair and it gave me dandruff), damp bunning/braiding (my hair takes so long to dry that when I take it down it simply reverts back to its original state), and heavy products (I can manage to get decent curls but my hair feels crunchy)! :no:

Any suggestions?

[Amber_Maiden]

I have similar hair to your type- I find weighing my hair down with a bit of oil helps. Any kind.

[lapushka]

You could try leaving some of your conditioner in by not rinsing it out completely, or by applying a second time, this time leaving it in. How much not to rinse out or to leave in will depend on how much moisture your wurls need.

[MissAlida]

I used to have a particularly heavy L'oreal conditioner. It does have cones, but it weighs down the hair. It wasn't good for me, I need light conditioners, but it might work for you. It's pretty cheap, it's called L'oreal Elseve Re-nutrition. It has some ingredient extracted from honey, I think.

[nobeltonya]

I found oiling the night before I wash, and using leave-in [GF sleek & shine intensely smooth cream works well for me] has helped my hair significantly.. also, bunning or braiding it wet for a few hours.. you just have to keep trying new things... it took me forever to find out what my hair liked. :P

[NymphSpirit]

EMBRACE IT! haha, I love wild hair... but anyways, if you've just stoped heat styling I'd suggest to give it some time, it probably lacks moisture, and once it gets it back, then it'll be a little more calm. Oh, and something that helps me with my crazy lion mane is sleeping with a loose bun on top of my head, that way it doesn't get as big :o

[sumidha]

Another vote for oil- my hair would be like wool without it, and if it doesn't help, you can just wash it out. :)

[Amanah]

you could try this:

-massage scalp with coconut oil before washing hair
-using conditioner to clean hair
-rinse with vinegar/water mix
-towel pat hair till not soaking wet
-rub 2 drops of Sweet Almond oil between palms and apply to top layer of hair
-finger comb hair and let it air dry

[sycamoreboutiqu]

I hear you. See my Avatar.

My best results have been to CO wash with a thin conditioner, but then do another conditioning with a heavier one - Garnier Nutrisse is great. Then after the second conditioning leave in a small amount of this same conditioner, that does wonders to smooth and weigh down the frizz and pouf with moisture. I use about a dime/quarter amount squeezed through the still dripping hair.

I always air dry - usually wash in the evening to make this easier to do - and while watching tv or reading the forums I twist the drying hair into sections. This compressing, containing helps keep down the pouf. A bun would help the same way. Maybe bun it for an hour then take it down, bun again take it down then bun for the night.

A tad of oil the next day or even better Kimberlily's Defrizz Spray, works great.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.phpt=277&highlight=kimberlily%27s+defrizz

It is usually a combination of things that does the trick.

[newbeginning]

My hair can get kind of poufy and frizzy. I find washing the night before and sleeping on it, using a good conditioner that really moisturizes my hair, and using coconut oil either as a treatment before I wash or on dry hair helps to control it and make it smoother.

[fridgee]

Have you tried plopping? It helps clump the curls together so all the hairs go the same way rather than each doing their own thing which results in frizz and poof. Some people will plop until dry, but I find 5-10 mins is enought to form the curls then they can air dry normally the rest of the way (without touching). It would never dry if I left it in the towel. :flower:

[MoonLover]

I'm going to echo some things that other posters said but also add my own:

Oil before washing either the night before or 30 min-a few hours before
Deep condition frequently (makes a HUGE difference. I do it at least once a week with one the new L'oreal sulfate free ones)
I now shampoo in the shower but put conditioner on after the shower after lightly blotting my hair with a microfiber towel. I use a bit less conditioner than I would if I were in the shower but it still works for finger detangling.
I let it air dry a bit and then put it in braids or twists to dry. I put more conditioner on the ends of my braids.
Since I usually don't wash for a few days, I reapply conditioner a little bit at a time as needed.

Hope that helps! I think wild hair is great but I know there is a difference between that and a frizzy mess. I've struggled with that for a long time

[Firefly]

Securing my hair somehow (bun, braid, wrap) as it dries is really the only thing that helps me with this issue!

[HintOfMint]

When I damp bun, I wait until it is almost dry to put it up. I find that this method smooths my hair more

[tiarefleur]

Thank you for all of your suggestions! I tried oiling with jojoba oil today with FANTASTIC results! I love coconut oil except for the smell, so I only use that for deep treatments.

I used jojoba oil as a leave in on damp hair but I was wondering if I could use it daily on dry hair as well...I've seen comments about oil "sealing out" moisture which seems like it might be problematic in the long run?

Anyway I will look into the other things that everyone has suggested too (maybe I'll give the damp bunning/braiding or plopping a try again and make sure I do it the right way this time!)

Hopefully I can figure out a good routine :D

[DancingQueen]

I found oiling the night before I wash, has helped my hair significantly.. you just have to keep trying new things... it took me forever to find out what my hair liked. :P

I second this, oiling before washing really does help. You could also let it air-dry in a tight, low ponytail, but that will give the rest of the hair a straighter look with curls on the bottom. :)

When I was 17, I decided to dump the flat iron as well (I was barely shoulder at that point) and it was quite a challenge to get used to. Maybe you just need to get used to your new hair?

I don't know your drying time, but 3-4 hours is completely normal with your texture and thickness. And dump the wide tooth comb when your hair is wet, when I comb my hair wet and let it air dry, my curls fluff up and get really crazy. Just let it hang down your back, and comb when dry (if needed). Don't touch it. :)

And last, but not least, do you shampoo and condition the right way? I find that this video was really helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzEjdmXaUUU

Good luck with everything, feel fee to PM me if you want to know more :)