Best treatment for dry curly hair?

[brighthair]

I have v v dry hair which is v curly, and I need some help.
I wash it every 2/3 days, and style it with a mix of argan oil cream and serum. I never brush, comb or blow dry it. I need some mega shampoo, condition or deep treatment that WORKS
Have tried John Freida stuff and that Aussie 3 minute miracle. Nada. In fact, you could probably pour oil on my hair and it would drink it up. Any other not pricey recommendations?

[JosieRosie]

brighthair, I feel your pain! I have the same type of hair and have spent YEARS trying product after product with zero success. My current regime works for me and is wallet-friendly :

Wash every 3 days with baby shampoo, cheapo stuff is fine. Really scrub your scalp with pads of fingers (not nails), don't work your whole head of hair into a great big lather or you'll never get the knots out. I only 'wash' the ends as I'm rinsing the foam out of the roots.

Condition with any cheapo conditioner but use TONS of it. I use about 3 handfuls each time. Work it through gently, scrunching as you go, then rinse out. I also do this in between shampoos if hair needs conditioning (most days!).

Then, SOAKING wet hair, do not towel dry - flip head over so hair is hanging upside down (not good for my dodgy back but hey-ho!). This allows you get good volume at roots and stops dried hair looking flat.
Leave-in conditioner - I use a normal conditioner for this, Elvive Colour Protect, plenty of it, a good fistful at least.
Curl creme - Boots pink stuff, just over £1 a tub. Bargain. Rub it between your palms before applying and it goes further.I find I don't need loads of this.
Gel - I have used a Garnier one which was just fine, but I'm currently using a product called 'Curl Queen' from the British Curlies website
By now your hair will be proper squelchy and jam-packed full of moisture, which is how we like it
Wrap hair in towel and leave it for about 15 minutes, then take off towel, arrange curls how you want them and air dry. Try to avoid touching until mostly dry. Might be a little bit hard but scrunches out easily.

Bit of a faff but easy on wallet. I do recommend www.britishcurlies.co.uk - some great products but a bit £££££. Good luck!

[brighthair]

thank you!!

currently I wash as you do just the scalp, and I use about 2 handfuls conditionr (why do they make conditioner bottles smaller than shampoo?!)

I think I will have to add leave in condition to my current mix! I really like the argan oil curl creme so far, and it was reduced from £15 to £6 at TK Maxx

[Tuggy]

Have you considered a brazilian blow dry? I had one as my hair is very dry and frizzy and LOVED it. Not kind on the wallet but lasts a few months so probable no more expensive than people who dye their hair every 6 weeks

[JosieRosie]

brighthair, I currently use Tesco own brand conditioner which comes in a 500ml bottle for the princely sum of 71p! I'm very happy with it. 99p stores are currently doing 2 bottles of coconut or apple conditoner for 99p.

Tuggy, I have considered brazilian blow dry but thought it would straighten my hair. Can I keep my big curls if I have the treatment? If so, I might consider it for autumn/winter when going out with soaking wet hair is not much fun!

[Tuggy]

Apparently it does not straighten your hair just 'manages it' I actually phoned today about getting it done again and accidently referred to it as a straightening thing and the lady on the phone went to great lengths to explain that it wasn't that :)

However I don't actually know as my hair is 'straight' (ish) just really poofy/frizzy so for me it just smooths it all, which effectively straightens it.

Maybe start a thread on the brazilian blow dry specifically to see if anyone with curls has had it?

I love it!

[caramelwaffle]

Boots

Curl Creme (pink)

[Chocamochalatte]

Try the 'Curly Girl' method... Loads of threads on it.... I swear by it...

[mintymellons]

No advice but was about to start a thread asking a similar question. Only difference is that my hair is wavy and very thick, not curly as such. I use straighteners to make it look presentable. Thing is it always looks dry.

[willybreeder]

I agree with trying the curly girl method which includes not using a towel to wrap your hair in after showering/washing it as it sucks moisture from your hair, you can use a cotton tea shirt or a proper towel for wrapping your hair (got mine in Semi Chem)

[slightlybonkers]

My hair is very thick but not curly. aveda products are excellent but pricey - i use the Black Malva Shampoo; the 1 litre bottle lasts for ages and is cheaper than their other shampoos; then Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner. I don't colour my hair and get it trimmed about every six months so justify the cost that way.

Also have a parlux hairdryer - 10 years old and still going strong!
www.parlux.co.uk/3200.htm

[AnnaAndBump]

I have very dry, very curly hair and find aveda be curly shampoo and curl creme are the best products to get my mop looking good. However they are seriously damaging on the pocket so in these days of austerity I am looking for alternatives and will be watching this thread with baited breath!

[flippineck]

Boots sell a range called Naked, there's an intensive conditioner that's pretty good - I've found that I need a lot less of that than other conditioners (I have thick, quite coarse shoulder length wavy-curly hair).

I find that the Boots pink curl creme dries my hair out so I don't use it any more but I know that other people really rate it.

Other than that, I would recommend the curly girl method too, I've been following it for about 6 months now with pretty good results.

[TheHumanCatapult]

have you got a shop or afro carribean hairdressers by you .Dd has thick and curly hair and I have long and thick hair and we found that shampoo and condtioner for Afro carribean hair works best

[otchayaniye]

I do curly girl and my hair has gone from straw-like wavy to corkscrew curly and is in great nick despite dyeing greys regularly.

I use a non-sulphate shampoo (Galvin one at the mo) once a week or so. The rest of the time I 'wash' with non dimethicone conditioner (Inecto coconut at the mo) and use argan oil and Boots curl creme as a styling aid.

[aswellasyou]

I have dry, very curly hair that used to be thick but is now really thin since pregnancy/breastfeeding. I feel like I've used every leave-in conditioner on the market. I find using one is the key to how my hair looks and just buy cheapo own brand shampoo and conditioner. My current fvourite is Trevor Sorbie Curl Cream. Its normal price is £5.10 but it's often on 3 for £10 or 2 for 1 at Boots. The pink curl creme I find sticky and makes my hair hard.
I'm intrigued by the curly girl method-i'm going to look it up.

[AWholeLottaNosy]

I've been to a specialist curly hair hairdresser in Birmingham and he has said that if you have curly hair you should not use shampoo with sulphates ( too drying ) or conditioner/products in with silicones. Over time they build up and coat your hair with a kind of plastic and prevent your hair from absorbing moisture. He recommended Bodyshop Rainforest range. I've been using it for a while and my hair feels much better. You can also try the Devacurl range on Amazon specially designed for curly hair.

[chocnomorechoc]

your hair sounds similar to mine.

I never use shampoo, only conditioner ( without silicones). and pink curl cream.

shampoo makes my hair incredibly dry.

[QueenBean]

This thread is over 3 years old kids

[goodasitgets]

Ooh and I'm the original OP
So I can update - I now use co wash, and rarely shampoo (no sulfate, no silicones)
Paul Mitchell awupuhi oil and twirl around and my hair is happy!

[daimbardiva]

Oh that's good, I love a happy ending :) was going to suggest coconut oil as a deep conditioner. Sounds like your hair would love that!

[maria0220]

The best I've used is Pro Naturals :)

[hollinhurst84]

Zombie I was the OP, and then posted again and I'm still here

[KurlyWurly88]

Ive picked up some great tips - thanks for waking up the thread!!

[WombattingFree]

If you struggle with coconut oil (I find it too hard to wash out) try sweet almond oil. Massage into your scalp and root to tip. Sleep with it in and wash and condition as normal.

It's important to find out whether or not your hair is lacking protein or moisture as if you add too much of either of those it will cause more damage. A salon will help you with those.

My other advice is steer clear of supermarket shampoos. Aussie is one of the worst things for your hair. Try a sulphate and silicone free shampoo and conditioner which will help. I use Wella Elements range (I can't remember if it has silicone in) and that's always been amazing on my bleached hair. Try Olaplex No 3 treatment to use at home.

My hair is in amazing condition from olaplex and Wella Elements and I've bleached it for 15years. It's never felt better.