Help me try something new :) - 1c/2a

[Corvana]

How did you manage to give up combing? It seems that I am married to my comb, LOL. I am currently sulphate and silicone free (first time ever) but I'm combing twice a day as I wake up with weird hair. I can't show up to work without combing.

I feel it's easier to ditch the comb when using silicones, as hair is almost straight and has slip. Did you face a similar issue?

My main issue with tangles tends to come from sleeping. I had no problems when I used a sleep cap (it's too small now, LOL), and now I braid it and have no problems either.

I do still get minor tangles, but I always gently pull them apart with my fingers (I have a sensitive scalp and prefer finger detangling because there's less pulling). And other than when I first wake up, or am going to bed, or if I'm getting a migraine, my hair is always up in a bun. It only needs to be detangled enough for me to put it up If I can split it in two for a disc bun (the only reliable one at my length), or three for a braid (for bed, or migraine days), then it's detangled enough for me!

The only time I truly struggled with tangles was when my hair was very bleach damaged.

In your last comment you mention your waves aren't forming, and combing will absolutely make them drop. Finding your own personal balance between waves and detangling will likely take you some time and trial and error!

[cailinbee]

This thread is such gold, thanks for starting it and to everyone who has responded!

I very tentatively put myself in 1c/2a after reading more about the bridge state between the two. I would say with absolutely zero interference and a no-cones routine, my hair is 2a. However, zero-interference is not my favorite look because my crown gets a baby-hair halo that I can't stand. I've been trying out just lightly combing or boar bristle brushing the crown and that's worked pretty well for me!

Also, curl mousse works pretty well for me, but I run my fingers through my hair by habit all day so that naturally sort of slowly destroys my waves...and mousse makes them stick together more, so I don't always opt to use it.

[SeRe]

Pretty much every Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair treatment, including the leave-in spray mask. I alternate the Don't Despair leave-in with their Rosarco milk leave-in which leaves my hair softer.

My shampoo is Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine Shampoo (sulfate free) for the most part. Sometimes I'll use my DC low poo Delight for wavies.

Since going silicone free, I've noticed product build-up which I'm thinking is from using heavier conditioners.
So I started clarifying more with an activated charcoal shampoo as sulfates irritate my scalp. I'm only mentioning this because your hair is m/ii so similar to mine, and the Briogeo Don't Despair, and the Rosarco Milk line are on the heavier side I think. At least
I find them heavier than the DC One Condition Delight.

eta: I don't apply the whip on soaking wet hair, it's very damp though. But I only want some definition for my waves, not looking to spend a ton of time on them since a day later I'm a 1c anyway.

Wish i had known about Briogeo before. Oh well, I should try Deva Curl, maybe it turns out to be my HG, we shall see.

Thanks for putting my "product in wet hair" concerns to ease.

I'm using Nature's gate shampoo. I have noticed that sulphate free shampoos tend to make hair more dry. I do use a lot of oil and I'm glad that they can remove heavy oilings too.

If I stick to this routine, I'll try Carol's daughter next time, thank you!

[SeRe]

My main issue with tangles tends to come from sleeping. I had no problems when I used a sleep cap (it's too small now, LOL), and now I braid it and have no problems either.

I do still get minor tangles, but I always gently pull them apart with my fingers (I have a sensitive scalp and prefer finger detangling because there's less pulling). And other than when I first wake up, or am going to bed, or if I'm getting a migraine, my hair is always up in a bun. It only needs to be detangled enough for me to put it up If I can split it in two for a disc bun (the only reliable one at my length), or three for a braid (for bed, or migraine days), then it's detangled enough for me!

The only time I truly struggled with tangles was when my hair was very bleach damaged.

In your last comment you mention your waves aren't forming, and combing will absolutely make them drop. Finding your own personal balance between waves and detangling will likely take you some time and trial and error!

Okay, makes sense. I think I may be obsessed with combing, I tend to comb many times a day. Hmmm. Tomorrow I need to put myself to test and finger comb only!

[SeRe]

This thread is such gold, thanks for starting it and to everyone who has responded!

I very tentatively put myself in 1c/2a after reading more about the bridge state between the two. I would say with absolutely zero interference and a no-cones routine, my hair is 2a. However, zero-interference is not my favorite look because my crown gets a baby-hair halo that I can't stand. I've been trying out just lightly combing or boar bristle brushing the crown and that's worked pretty well for me!

Also, curl mousse works pretty well for me, but I run my fingers through my hair by habit all day so that naturally sort of slowly destroys my waves...and mousse makes them stick together more, so I don't always opt to use it.

Thank you! I have similar hair. I think 1c/2a has the best of both worlds but it is also a challenge to find the right routine. I know what you mean by baby hair halo, I had a lot of regrowth that caused baby hair all over my scalp. But I'm not complaining, I would rather have thick hair and deal with the frizz than be thinning.

Please share your routine. Thank you.

[cailinbee]

Please share your routine. Thank you.

Nothing outrageous really -- I use whatever shampoo or conditioner without silicones I fancy at the moment I've been through Herbal Essences Shine/Smooth collection, basic Suave, and L'Oreal Elvive extraordinary clay recently. I wash every day. I air dry and if I brush at all it's either just on the crown or with a wide-toothed Cricket comb.

I moisturize in a braid with leave-in creams and coconut oil in a braid every few nights overnight.

[SeRe]

Nothing outrageous really -- I use whatever shampoo or conditioner without silicones I fancy at the moment I've been through Herbal Essences Shine/Smooth collection, basic Suave, and L'Oreal Elvive extraordinary clay recently. I wash every day. I air dry and if I brush at all it's either just on the crown or with a wide-toothed Cricket comb.

I moisturize in a braid with leave-in creams and coconut oil in a braid every few nights overnight.

Nice routine. Would you say your hair is more straight or more wavy? Mine changes pretty much everyday, LOL!

[cailinbee]

Nice routine. Would you say your hair is more straight or more wavy? Mine changes pretty much everyday, LOL!

Definitely more wavy -- it's only totally straight if I blow dry it really aggressively (which I don't do anymore, haha). Whether it's 1c or 2a just depends on how much I've brushed or manipulated it. It's definitely tenuous so the waves fall a bit, sometimes all the way to 1b, if I brush a lot.

I did try pretending to be a "curly girl" and tried that method and plopping once out of curiosity, and that kicked it up to 2b/2c, but that's more work than I like to put into my daily routine...it's fun knowing I could be wavier if I wanted, though!

[cailinbee]

Mine changes pretty much everyday, LOL!

And yes, totally. Humidity, how much and what kind of product or brush, and even just taking a nap on it and rumpling a bit changes it completely! One thing I notice is if I get caught momentarily in a downpour, I love what rain does to my hair -- I think the getting-random-locks-wet-but-not-totally-drenching-my-head effect makes the waves turn beachy and I even get curls at the nape of my neck. I've found rain is hard to replicate, though, haha!

[lapushka]

Thanks Lapushka. Which products are you using currently for L, O and C? And I know that you scrunch. I am a bit hesitant to try scrunching as I don't want to create tangles. Have you found that scrunching damaged your hair at all?

Do you follow the gel technique, where you gel heavily, allow to dry and then break the cast?

At 29, I still don't know how to do my hair properly

I use either a leave-in (JBCO leave-in by Shea Moisture) + gel (mostly Eco Styler, but it can vary) + a serum. Or, I use a curl cream (Curl Enhancing smoothie by Shea Moisture) + gel + a serum.

I don't use much, though and that is key for me! I use about a coinsize of each "layer" I put in, and that is *more* than enough.

I usually don't need to break any gel cast because I don't use enough gel for that to happen.

It's all in how much product you use, especially if you are barely wavy (not much product needed).