Natural curly hair

[prittykitty]

I have naturally curly hair. The problem is that I do not like it. I don't want curls. I want straight hair, but I can tolerate wavy hair and live with it, however I have been putting up with the curl just so my hair will grow out. I use to use a straightening iron and several years ago I got a chemical straightener, something I now know is bad news and I would not do. Still, I wait until my hair is almost air dried and then I blow dry it only because it somewhat smooths the curls. My question is, is there another way around this? I mean besides blow drying, is there another way to smooth unwanted curls and keep my hair healthy so it will grow?

[lapushka]

I think you sort of want the impossible here...

What if you learn how to cherish your curls by using something called the "curly girl method"? It'll teach you how to deal with your naturally curly hair the right way, so it won't frizz or fluff or do awful things. Here's something to help you get started and there's plenty more hints on naturallycurly.com:

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Cu...for-Curly-Hair

Some can't go fully CG (curly girl) which means they can't wash conditioner only, and so they have adapted the washing to low-poos (mild shampoos that don't contain sl(e)s), it's called "modified CG".

Anyway it's a whole other world that you could get to know should you be ready to accept your curls... or give it a try (you never know).

[redneckprincess]

I HAD curls, then chemical straightened and STILL flat ironed every day, (pre LHC and a month into it or so) it took alot of the curl out but now the waves are just there with no rhyme or reasion to them, and to me it just looks like a big mess I cant imagine what it will look like when its longer. I wm in the process of growing virgin to waist before I go any farther (Im only to shoulder) so I have a long way to go, but Im rather starting to enjoy my wavyness, I have heard you can wrap your wet hair around your head til it dries, and that will help keep it straight, but we are far away from having hair long enough to braid let alone wrap around our heads.

I say stick around a bit, read a lot, and look at pictures expically members with the same hair type. That has been key in me wanting my curls back, I even went and went and bought curlers for the first time ever, I still flat iron about once a month and love that straight hair look, but Im learning not every one can do both with such ease...

[rhubarbarin]

It's always best to accept (and hopefully grow to like) and work with what you have naturally. But I know a lot of people can't.

I hated my curly hair for a long time, until I learned I could manage it and have soft, beautiful, shiny hair (that was also curly). Lots of people love curls, and I get a lot of compliments.

There really isn't any way to make curly hair reliably straight that isn't extremely rough on the hair (heat styling or chemical straightening). But, I know plenty of people here use heat styling and have beautiful healthy hair. Sometimes heat will keep someone from achieving super-lengths, but you should be able to get to waist length with no problem unless your hair is very fragile.

[~GypsyCurls~]

Welcome to LHC!

You definitely have the right to not like your curls, but I bet they'd be beautiful and you'd love them if you would treat them differently. If you straighten chemically or with a blow dryer/flat iron, your hair is NEVER going to look good curly because of the damage those things cause. Trust me, there are plenty of people who long for the curls you have and they are stuck with straight hair. Generally the more you work with your natural texture instead of against it, your hair will be healthy and look great. There is a method called wrapping, which involves basically wrapping sections of hair around your head and keeping it in place with clips, and when it dries your hair will be much straighter. But there is no blow dryer, flat iron, or chemical straightener that will not damage your hair.

I was like you and would have traded anything for having straight hair, but that was because I had no idea how to take care of it. Once I started working with it and gave it TLC, it became not only easier to damage but better looking. I agree with lapushka, learn about the Curly Girl method and visit naturallycurly.com. There are endless resources as well as endless ladies with gorgeous healthy curls.

[DotDotDot]

The most I can give you is the saran wrap straightening method, which isn't as bad as flat ironing your hair, but really your best bet is to learn to love what you have. Being a curly girl myself, I second the curly girl method, and if you want to see some gorgeous curls for inspiration, head over to Naturally Curly CurlPix. Who knows? Maybe you'll be surprised at the beauty of what grows out of your head naturally.