What to do with curly hair

[lilystem]

Hi, I'm after some advice. I have quite curly hair that if I wear down I always wear curly. I look really odd with straight hair and don't think I've got the time to straigten it. I used to wear it scraped back into a ponytail on a daily basis for work.

Since I've been on maternity leave I've been showering every morning (I did used to shower - that sounds awful!) and blow drying my hair curly.

It takes at least 30 mins to shower and blow dry my hair. My hair looks crap if I don't wash it. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas as to what I could do with it if I don't want a shower in the morning but also don't want to scrape it back?

Sorry, that was really long!!

[sedgieloo]

Google curly girl method...It means going sillicone free and sulphate free and washing with conditioner mostly. I tried this with dd, after some trial and error I found washing with shampoo each time (toddler=food rubbed through hair) and then conditioner through wet hair that I did not wash out followed by a hair oil and drying naturally/diffuser works well.

[curlyLJ]

I second the curly girl method - I used to always 'have' to wash my hair every day or pull it back in a bun or ponytail, but since I made the switch, I can now go at least 2 days, maybe 3 without washing.

I use tresemme Naturals (only the Naturals one is free of all those things sedgieloo mentions) and sometimes I just condition, other times - maybe once a week, sometimes less - I use shampoo too. I go through roughly 2 bottles of conditioner to 1 shampoo but it's always on BOGOF somewhere...

After washing, I very gently scrunch some of the water out with a towel or old t-shirt (never towel dry or run the towel over the hair or it will make it frizz) I then scrunch Umberto Gianini scrunching jelly (bright pink tube) in while it's still reasonably wet and wrap up in a turbie towel or t-shirt. (look up plopping or plunking on you tube) and leave it for about 20 mins. Then I let it free, scrunch in some more jelly if needed, or a curl creme (boots one is good and cheap) and just leave it or dry a little with a diffuser.

The next morning, I use a spray bottle with a solution of the Tresseme conditioner and water and srpritz onto my hair then add some of the UG jelly and hey presto!

Serioulsy I used to despair about my curly hair, but it'e never looked better. All thanks to finding out about this regime on Mumsnet.

[LittleMachine]

I put mine in a high ponytail, then pin it into a bun. I pull it back rather than scrape it back, so the top and sides still look curly. I don't twist the pony into a bun, I just take sections and pin it into the bobble. Sometimes I leave some bits around my face. I'm trying to find a picture of a similar style to show you.

[LittleMachine]

Sorry I can't work out how to link from google images on my phone, as there's no address bar, but if you google image 'curly hair updo' the third image along is similar to what I end up with. You might get some other ideas from that search too!

[BornToFolk]

I do curly girl but still have to wash my hair every day as it looks shit the second day! However, it's quite short (chin length bob at the moment) so I let it dry naturally. I get in the shower as soon as I get up and then by the time I've got dressed, eaten breakfast and persuaded DS to do the same it's mostly dry and I just give it a quick scrunch and blast with the hairdryer.

[lilystem]

Thanks people.

Have googled curly girl - I think I'd still have to use shampoo as I live on a farm and do get properly dirty! I think Bornto's system of shower first thing is probably my way forward and leave to dry whilst I do the rest of the morning routine.