Random curly hair question

[anabelneri]

Hello! I find hair forums to be overwhelming, so I thought I'd ask here ('cause ya know, the Hive isn't overwhelming :lol: ).

 

With each pregnancy my hair has gotten slightly curlier in some places. It used to be straight, but now I've got definite curls, especially in the front. But it's like they're not springy enough to pull themselves into their lovely curliness when they're newly clean... it can take a while for them to spring up. When it was hot last week they were very curly, but this week they're not springing up at all (we live in a very Mediterranean climate).

 

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm on the crunchy side of the spectrum, and experience shows that I'm unlikely to use a lot of product beyond conditioner and maybe one other thing (if it works).

 

Thank you!

:)

[NoseInABook]

Find a conditioner that works for you, get a decent gel, and "plop" your hair into a microfiber towel when you are freshly out of the shower. Just put the towel on the closed toilet, lean over and slowly bend over so your hair is piled on the top of your head before tying the towel on.

[anabelneri]

I've never had plopping do anything. I assume it does for other people, but afterwards my hair basically looks exactly the same as it does when I don't plop it.

 

Maybe my curls just aren't strong enough? They're fun but kinda wimpy?

 

Hmm...

[Erin]

When I had longer hair, I swore by FrizzEaze to keep my curls in shape.

[Sara in AZ]

I, too, used to have straight hair. Now it's wavy with some definite curls in random places, mostly in the bottom layers. It's annoying. But I have learned to live with it. If I'm actually going to do my hair (apart from a pony tail or a bun) I will do one of two things: 1) straighten it with a straightening iron, which takes a while because it's really thick, or 2) Embrace the wave. I smooth some gel (I just use Suave) into it right after I wash and comb it. Then I usually pin it up and let it dry for a few minutes while I get dressed or something. Later, I come back and put a little mousse in and blow dry it with a diffuser for maybe three minutes. I am not one to spend time in my hair, and this routine is super fast and easy.

[Slartibartfast]

My hair is *very* curly. I actually have those spiral curls everyone was trying to get in the 80s. :lol:

 

I really love love love the products from http://www.jessicurl.com/ but they don't really fit in my budget.

 

If you can't stand anything more than conditioner then just mix your conditioner with some water and use it as a leave-in.

 

Don't go crazy on the brushing, give your hair breaks between washing. I usually wash my hair with conditioner-only. I only use shampoo once a week or so. Avoid sulfates and silicones in hair products. Don't brush hair while it is dry at all.

 

I like the curly girl method.

 

http://www.wikihow.c...-for-Curly-Hair

[6wildhorses]

I have curly hair and, like you, I don't use products with lots of chemicals. I use Giovanni poducts. I wash with shampoo and then brush in leave-in conditioner. I scrunch it with a little gel and smooth a little onto the top of my head. I put in a little clip which helps keep everything in place and also helps prevent frizz throughout the day. When I apply the conditioner, first I put it on my hands and rub my hands together. I do the same thing for the gel. That makes it easier to spread it evenly on my hair. A little bit of Giovanni products goes a long way, so you don't have to use very much. If I don't wash my hair every day it looks scraggly and frizzy. But this routine is very easy and quick to do daily, and my curls come out looking nice.

[elegantlion]

I use Deva Curl, conditioner only. It's pricey and I got a bottle for Christmas and it's a little over half empty. I also have very curly hair.

 

The thing with curly hair is you really have to embrace it or go mad. I'm still not sure I like my hair all that much, but curly hair does what it wants. Keep it moisturized and it's happier, but still not very obedient.

[Jennifer in MI]

My hair is *very* curly. I actually have those spiral curls everyone was trying to get in the 80s. :lol:

 

I really love love love the products from http://www.jessicurl.com/ but they don't really fit in my budget.

 

If you can't stand anything more than conditioner then just mix your conditioner with some water and use it as a leave-in.

 

Don't go crazy on the brushing, give your hair breaks between washing. I usually wash my hair with conditioner-only. I only use shampoo once a week or so. Avoid sulfates and silicones in hair products. Don't brush hair while it is dry at all.

 

I like the curly girl method.

 

http://www.wikihow.c...-for-Curly-Hair

 

 

Definitely curly girl method. Look on line to see if you have a stylist near you. She will show you how to get the most out of your curls. And you'll probably be surprised at how much more curl you actually have.

 

 

I use Deva Curl, conditioner only. It's pricey and I got a bottle for Christmas and it's a little over half empty. I also have very curly hair.

 

The thing with curly hair is you really have to embrace it or go mad. I'm still not sure I like my hair all that much, but curly hair does what it wants. Keep it moisturized and it's happier, but still not very obedient.

 

 

Yup. Must embrace the curly!!!

 

I posted here last summer about how frustrated I was with my hair. I posted pictures. It was horrible. My hair would just get BIG after I straightened it. And it had a mind of its own. Ugh. I had been straightening my hair for YEARS. And, keeping it short. Many people here told me that my hair was probably curly or wavy and to try the Curly Girl method. I found a stylist and went and I've never looked back. I still don't love my hair, but I don't fight it anymore. And, I like it MUCH better than before.

 

My routine? I work out daily, so I really need to shower and use shampoo. I use either the deva Curl products or Aubrey Organics. Wash/rinse. Then, about once a week, I use the Deva Curl conditioner. Run fingers through my hair. Bend over and scrunch with a little Deva Curl gel. Scrunch iwth a towel to get out the excess water. I always clip my hair at the top to get some lift and leave the clips in until I have to leave the house! If I have to leave early, I use a diffuser. But, usually I just let it air dry. I don't have curls, but waves. And, I cannot wait for the humidity of summer! I hope it'll turn the waves into curls!!!

 

Oh - and never, ever brush.

[LizzyBee]

Hello! I find hair forums to be overwhelming, so I thought I'd ask here ('cause ya know, the Hive isn't overwhelming :lol: ).

 

With each pregnancy my hair has gotten slightly curlier in some places. It used to be straight, but now I've got definite curls, especially in the front. But it's like they're not springy enough to pull themselves into their lovely curliness when they're newly clean... it can take a while for them to spring up. When it was hot last week they were very curly, but this week they're not springing up at all (we live in a very Mediterranean climate).

 

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm on the crunchy side of the spectrum, and experience shows that I'm unlikely to use a lot of product beyond conditioner and maybe one other thing (if it works).

 

Thank you!

:)

 

 

I'm another one who had curly hair that went wavy/slightly curly after pregnancy. I've tried curly girl, but it never seemed to work the way it was supposed to. My hair is very dry, and in the summer it gets frizzy from the humidity here. I take medication that makes it even dryer. But it's also fine, so I can only use very light leave-in products or it looks limp and gross. I tried not to wash very often, but I had to wash out the product build up. For the past two years or so, I've used Biolage Color Care shampoo and conditioner, and it works as well as any curly products I've tried. It's very gentle and non-drying.

 

But for the past week, I've done something different. Sunday, I didn't shower until 10 pm, so I didn't wash my hair. But it got very damp in the shower. When I looked in the mirror after it dried, I thought, "Wow, my hair looks better than when I wash it and try to style it!" So this week, every morning I ran my hands through my hair to see if it still felt clean. Each day, it was clean and I had absolutely no oil on my scalp. So, I didn't wash my hair or use any products in it. I just let it get damp in the shower, adjusted the part, and used my hands to kind of work it into place. I'm spending less time on it and it looks better. It doesn't look dry or frizzy, and the curls are perkier.

 

I tried the Deva Curl products, and they made my hair dry, frizzy, and straight. I like some of the Ouidad products, though. The shampoo I tried was very gentle, and the deep conditioning treatment is awesome. But the Biolage products work well for a lot less money.

[KungFuPanda]

Hello! I find hair forums to be overwhelming, so I thought I'd ask here ('cause ya know, the Hive isn't overwhelming :lol: ).

With each pregnancy my hair has gotten slightly curlier in some places. It used to be straight, but now I've got definite curls, especially in the front. But it's like they're not springy enough to pull themselves into their lovely curliness when they're newly clean... it can take a while for them to spring up. When it was hot last week they were very curly, but this week they're not springing up at all (we live in a very Mediterranean climate).

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm on the crunchy side of the spectrum, and experience shows that I'm unlikely to use a lot of product beyond conditioner and maybe one other thing (if it works).

Thank you!

:)

 

I like Trader Joe's tea tree conditioner. It works really well well costs 1/4 what Deva Curl costs. (I do spring for Deva gel, but it lasts a long time.

 

Wheni was pregnant with my first, my very curly hair grew in straight. It didn't curl back up until DD was weaned around 15 months.

[milovany]

Another Curly Girl fan here. Get the book! I finally like my curls after 25+ years of having them. I can get defined curls by 1) not using shampoo, but conditioner or the Deva no-poo shampoo, 2) handling it as little as possible once wet and clean, 3) plopping it as described above for a couple of hours. Sometimes I put the conditioner on the ends without rinsing it out (as I get out of the shower), or a water based gel.

[happi duck]

I like Trader Joe's tea tree conditioner.

 

If you're the one who has suggested this before...thank you! After reading about it here a while back I've been using it and love it! (No animal testing was a big plus too!)

[Aspasia]

My hair curls best when I don't comb or brush it after washing. I give it a brush before I get in the shower (because we have to brush our hair SOMETIME, right?), but when I get out, I just add a little gel and let it air dry. I find when I comb/brush it, the hair is more separated, the curls aren't as curly, and it just looks wispier. When I blow dry it, I just don't like the kind of curl I get. But when I just let it air dry, the curls are more defined (less wispy) and I like their shape better. (TBH, I prefer my hair straight at all times, but summers in Virginia kind of force me to go curly for a few months.)

 

I haven't ever heard of this Curly Girl thing. I'm off to check it out!

[anabelneri]

My hair responds well to dampness too, LizzyBee.

 

One thing I've noticed lately (it's been hot and occasionally humid here, probably why I'm noticing things about my hair...) is that most of my hair is wavy, but if I separate out the front section and keep it away from the rest, it'll go curly while the rest stays just wavy. I have no idea if the rest would curl up if I could keep it separated too, but the area that used to be my bangs (before they curled up) I can keep separate most of the time. But I do have this lovely halo of curly flyaways all around the rest of my head.

 

I might try the TJ's conditioner, or the Giovanni. Thanks for the recs!

[milovany]

(because we have to brush our hair SOMETIME, right?)

Nope! :)