Embracing my curls

[Bumbolina]

I've got wavy/curly hair if I leave it to dry with a bit of mousse. I like it and would like to embrace my curls - what can I do to encourage them? I have days when they curl brilliantly and others where they barely kink!

I've been reading stuff online and a couple of websites have suggested not shampooing...?

I'm a bit confused about when to use the natural shampoo and conditioner?
When do I wash with conditioner and how does this ensure I don't look like a grease head?

Naked Gorgeous Curls curl taming cream is the best styling product that I've tried and I've tried a lot!

Bought myself some tresseme shampoo & conditioner, already got boots curl creme, bring on the curls!

I tried only conditioning my hair from Wednesday, and gave up today it itched like crazy, and my hair felt like straw It didn't look greasy as I thought it would though, and my hubby said my hair looked nice so it must have done something

Not sure I could do it long term though, plus my curls weren't defined - and it wasn't as curly as I hoped. The plopping does seem to help a bit, but the curls aren't defined.

I shampooed, conditioned then plopped today and my hubby said "oooh I'm liking the curls" so maybe it is working... or maybe I've chatted about it so much he remembered to notice. Not that it matters I'm not doing it for him, he's just my only point of reference!

I could have written the OP....thank you all very much!!! I have made a shopping list and am looking forward to embracing my curls......I have fought the wave my whole life and only recently have decided to abandon the GHDs in favour of a blow dry.....this advice means I'm going to try 'full natural curls'. Yikes!!!

had to chuckle at the co-washing thing....I assumed it was something along the lines of showering with your other half!!!!

I think if you are trying a different method of washing/ conditioning your hair you have to be patient and give if time, it won't work overnight.

Re silicones, short term yes they will make your hair look shiny, but it's superficial, like coating your hair in plastic and over time your hair won't be able to absorb moisture as the silicone acts like a barrier and will become dry and brittle.

Devacurl products on Amazon are specifically designed for curly hair too. Not tried them yet but you can get a trial size pack if you want to give them a go!

You could do that too, Isitpimmsoclockyet, but if it makes your hair curl I want to PM you and find out what the two of you are doing

Bumb sometimes I use a tiny amount of coconut oil as though it's serum and rub through my curls. This helps to give the curls definition.
I've just ordered a microfiber turban off ebay to try to plop with!

I haven't used shampoo for about five years. I get it soaking wet (takes ages), comb in the shower, use minimal amounts of very cheap normal conditioner as a leave in, do some scrunching and let it dry naturally. Occasionally give it some oil or other grease which defrizzes without actually looking greasy.

Defined curls as seen on tv and in John Frieda adverts are pretty rare in real life, and if you do see perfect curls out and about, chances are that someone has put a LOT of time into making them look like that. I'm of the life-is-too-short camp so mine do their thing. Sometimes they look great, sometimes they look a bit frizzy, sometimes it's just a totally wild cloud of mad hair. But other people think it always looks amazing, so there's that! Curls are much more forgiving than straight hair I think.

I tried plopping. It has seems to have helped a lot! Just need some definition.
What was the best creme?
What about frizz?

Not conditioning has been the difference today- definitely not as straight.
Also didn't brush hair in shower brushed before.

I've decided to try not using sulphates and silicones in my hair anymore.

I've just switched to Boots Botanicals shampoo and conditioner, and then use a little bit of the Boots curl creme which i've heard lots of good things about.

Try not brushing at all and just using a wide-toothed comb, or even finger-combing. Brushing is awful for curly hair.

I have a thick mane of long & curly hair that has not been dried, combed, or brushed for over 10 years.

I do wash with shampoo, then untangle with my fingers when conditioner is in (not near scalp). Squeeze water out, leave for a big in a towel (didn't know it was called 'plopping')

Then apply liberal amounts of Curl Friends cream from Boots and leave to dry. Much later, apply a tiny bit of silicon serum to perfectly define the curls.

Others have tried to dissuade me from silicon but I honestly can't see how my hair could be healthier, thicker, and shinier so I ignored them

Well, it does get combed, brushed and blow dried at the hairdresser's about once a month but that's all.

One of my favourite inadvertent hair successes was detangling with my fingers when my hands were covered with the residue from Lush's Buffy the backside slayer. Result: lovely defined curls!

Suspect it would have gone horrible for someone with hair less thick and dry than mine, though. Mine can even take baby oil without looking greasy.

Henna also defrizzes my hair for a few days quite nicely. Basically anything with oil in will do it.

If you want ringlets and you have a natural curl to start with, it's really easy: just separate out small sections and twiddle them round your forefinger with some product on your hands. Then scrunch a bit and voila. You have to twiddle all the same way, if that makes sense, otherwise it goes a bit mad. Takes about ten minutes on mine (medium long, thick, v curly) so if you've got shorter hair it'd be really easy to do.

Can any of you lovely ladies help with my curly daughter. I dread hair washing and combing. It's very silky and fine, and settles into ringlets when it's clean. It's also long. I love her ringlets, but I hate dealing with them. It's so knotty all the time, and she won't let me condition it.

Finger drying does not rid it of the knots and snarls, and it knots together in a lump.

I bought a product called The Wet Comb for one of the DDs for Christmas. It has wavy tines. It works much better than a wide toothed comb with straight tines for detangling in the shower. There's far less pulling. Other than using that or fingers to detangle, I never comb or brush mine.

Orange could you swap the washing for conditioning? Detangling, however you do it, is loads easier on hair that's got conditioner on it.

When I was about 12 or 13 my hair got in a such a state that an older friend had to cut self-generated dreadlocks out of the back of it - I wasn't detangling properly (and it was really, really long at that point). It's always been a bit shorter since then and I try and make sure to get any big knots out as soon as I spot them. Shorter is easier with curls.

Orange - DD's hair is long and all thick ringlets that become proper rastas around her neck if left unwashed for a few days.

We shampoo her hair, then apply my hair conditioner, and comb through her hair with the magic comb called Tangle Teezer. We bought ours at Hamleys toy store. It is absolutely brilliant and combs through her hair with no pain it drama in one minute.

I've got a tangle tamer and a tangle teezer is best, but it's still a struggle. Can any of you lovely ladies recommend a leave in conditioner. I can only ever find one, and it s from the Ausie range and it smells awful

The Charles Worthington one smells good and worked on my hair - you can also use normal conditioner as a leave in if you don't use too much.

You can leave any conditioner in. I don't rinse all the Tresemme out.

I have very fine hair and during the course of today it's gone quite stringy...I think it's because there isn't any curl definition.

So boots curl creme is the one to get?