To not know how to treat sudden corkscrew curls

[Celeste123]

DS is 13.
He spent his whole life with blonde, straight, floppy hair.
Since he turned 13 it has dramatically changed in to completely different hair.
It is now dark with tight, coarse corkscrew curls right across his hairline ftom ear to ear, then curly from the crown down the back of his head, but this area has turned regular curly and is not tight corkscrew curls like the ones going from his forehead to his crown.
The curly hair from crown to back of neck is easier to handle.
But the tight corkscrew coarse curls across the front of his head are a nightmare. They grow upwards into the air! Then it gets to his crown, and the curly hair at back of his head grow downwards.
It's a mess and I don't know what to do with it.
He hates the way the corkscrew curls look "puffy" as he says.
I feel for him, as it's happened right at a stage in his life when he suddenly cares about his appearance.
He 100% does not want it shaved off, or cut short against his scalp.
It's more that we need to learn how to manage it.
He keeps grabbing DD's paddle brush (she has poker straight long hair) and brushing his hair down flat in a desperate attempt to flatten in, but that turns it in to a ball of frizz.
I'm struggling to know how to help because I've spent 12 years of his life with him having straight, floppy hair!
To give you an idea of his character, he's completely chilled out, laid back, cool as a cucumber, gentle, funny, kind, sensitive and super smiley and happy. I need to get his hair right to reflect his character.
Are there any tight curl hair experts out there who could advise me??
And does anyone know why someone's hair can totally transform in adolescence?!
And why is it 2 different types of curls - tight corkscrew at the front and curly waves at the back?
I'm finding all our shampoos are turning it in to a ball of fluff.
I bought John Frieda 'straight' shampoo & conditioner thinking it might relax or soften the corkscrew curls a bit, but it hasn't touched them.

Brilliant advice on this thread, thanks everyone, soooo helpful!
I'm loving the products advice🙏thank you!
And the advice re combs, brushes, what to do when it's wet, what not to do when it's dry, etc.
Re gel for the curls - does it leave hair crunchy once it's dried? He'd hate the feeling of that......
What's the difference, in terms of how it looks and feels once it's dried, between hair gel and hair cream (for curly hair)? Is cream more hydrating with a softer finish than gel?

Thank you @Hols23
Thank you.

I wouldn't take him to a barber, I'd take him to a salon that specializes in curly hair.

My hair went straight to curly when I hit puberty too. Kids at school thought I was a new girl! Hardee for boys though!
I use boots own curl cream £2.99 a big pot of pink stuff that hydrated it and defines the curls.. I wash every other day. But wet it to dampen down the frizz/reactivate the curls when I don't wash it. I rarey brush mine & never when dry.

A short back and sides sounds like it would look good, work with the tightly coiled hair on top and mask the different curl patterns. Ie a 'broccoli cut'

Ahhh I'm so glad you're both resisting the 'shave it!!' & 'straighten it!' advice - it's bloody awful.

I can't advise anything as I've poker straight, boring hair. Funnily enough one of my customers came in & his hair was freshly washed & wildly curly (I normally see him after his job) & it looked incredible so I made sure to say so. Apparently his teen son has the same hair & loves it - I imagine that's in no small part down to his dad owning his own curls, though apparently it's a lot of work.

Good luck!

'Different curl patterns'
That's the exact description I was looking for!

As others have said never brush curly hair dry. Wish my parents had known this when I was a child!.
My daughter has similar hair, tight coils. But it's also wavy in places and some strands can be straight. It can be a lot to keep on top of. I think it's pretty normal for people with wavy/curly hair to have several different types of curl pattern on their head. Worth looking up which type of curl pattern he has so you know how best to look after it.

Always brush wet, I've found wide comb the best. you can try the t-shirt method. Where you don't dry with a towel. You scrunch with a t-shirt or microfibre towel rather than a normal towel. It helps prevent frizz.
Then I get a curl creme and rake through hair. Scrunch hair (or you can try finger curl which may help all the curls have a similar shape) and add a little gel. You can then add a frizz spray. Realise that is a lot but once you get in to a routine it can really help. Sleeping with a satin pillow really helps too. Also a little hair oil in the morning. Also in the morning if it's gone frizzy or whatever. Get a water spray bottle, give it a quick spray, add a little curl creme or gel, scrunch and it's a realt quick fix.

Oh also I've found shampoo can really make my hair poof up. I really avoid shampoo as much as possible. I do what's called a con wash (conditioner wash) it still washes your hair but doesn't poof up after. If you really want to shampoo just don't do it as often. Or do conditioner, shampoo and then conditioner again!

Definitely recommend going to someone who understands curls. So many hairdressers don't know how to cut curls.
Also try the curtly girl method for products that work with curls. Silicone free is good. There are also lots of good Reddit groups and video tutorials to help! I know that's a lot and it can seem overnight once you get in a routine and understand it, it gets easier.

With the gel, yes it will dry crispy and hard. But then, you scrunch it up and it's lovely and soft again with defined curls. The trick is, try not to mess with it once the gel is in and drying. I use the Umberto Giannini curl gel personally.

You could post a picture from the back of you want most specific advice, or give an area of the country if you want hairdresser recommendations.

That's meant to say overwhelming not overnight!

Just remembered also worth figuring out how porous his hair is. As this will effect which products are best for him or how much to use.

Also meant to add in the gel may have gone crunchy whilst drying, it's called a gel cast. But it's not bad, it helps hold the curl and you can use a little oil to separate them and scrunch out the cast!

Good on you Celeste, for making the effort to help him. I say this as a curly with preraphaelite hair, who spent their teen years as a frizzy silicone styled mess as there wasn't so much knowledge and availability of decent curl products at that time. Curly methods don't have to be complicated or expensive, though it takes a bit of experimenting to find what works - though the rules of no silicon, no sulphate and wet styling only are usually a good place to start.

Where I live atm, curls on top with a taper or fade seems really popular for teen boys.

Only do anything to curls when wet. Otherwise you break the bonds and get frizz. Don't brush it, don't run your hands through it. Only when wet.

Boots curl creame, it's pink in a clear pot. Brilliant shit, cheap gel mousse. Style when wet, air dry as much as possible. Lots of conditioner. Look up brushes and combs for curly hair types. You can control the curl by brushing different ways. I brush up, for my son it's out to the side. It's trial and error and a good hairdresser who cuts the curl.

This is all amazing advice and exactly what I was hoping to find! Thank you so much everyone!
No sulphates, no silicone, style when wet only, no brushing, gel needs scrunching once dried to get rid of the crunch, recommended hair products, curl cremes, oils, even con washes - I never knew any of this!!!
I feel so much better equipped now! Thank you truly!!
I'd love to post a photo of his hair but DS doesn't want me to, so I won't.

Erm what barbers are you going to?! 🤣 go to a proper one, preferably one that specialises in curls… bit of common sense would prevail here.

Dry with a t shirt not a towel

Look for a hairdresser in your area who specialises in curly cuts. Not only will they cut his hair really well but they will advise about products and methods that he can use. T shirt or micro fibre towel for drying are great !

Oh yes that's another thing, dry with a t-shirt not a rough towel.

Sorry about not giving more advice, I’ve been unwell with flu! The crème will make the hair softer when it dries, the gel can go crunchy. It’s called a cast, when it’s dry , scrunch it up and that will get rid of the crunchiness. Another thing your son can do to help (but it might be a bit difficult cos he’s a boy and might resist 😀) is to use a silk bonnet or pillow to sleep on. This will help keep the curls in place for longer, like this one. You can get them on Amazon quite cheaply.

And I’ve found this gel to be the best, but any gel (cheap ones are fine) will work

Also different curl patterns are normal, I have two types of curl in my hair. If you need a recommendation for an excellent curly / Afro hairdresser and you’re near London, let me know. 😀

Thank you so much @Spanielears this is so helpful of you! Thank you for explaining and advising.
Must admit I did smile at the thought of teenage DS wearing a silk bonett in bed! 😂
We're not near London unfortunately, but thank you for the offer.
I hope you get better soon!

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied with advice, tips and products😍
Right, I feel fully armed now to get DS rocking his new hair!
Thank you all!🙏

Thank you Celeste, I’m on the mend! I’m glad to be of help and hope your son enjoys creating his new look 😀

If you’re near Manchester I recommend Hairking Callum, he’s fantastic. His Instagram is helpful too

I’m menopausal and my hair has completely changed. It used to be very straight with no bend whatsoever, now it is wavier with bend, especially the back, I actually like it.

I don’t use normal brushes apart from the blow dry, I always use an Afro comb when it’s dry, otherwise it goes fluffy.