Please help me get my curls back!!

[Chocwocdoodah]

I’ve moaned on here about my hair a lot. Basically, it’s usually curly/wavy but I can’t maintain the curls and sometimes I go through phases of it being straight and lifeless and I don’t know why.

I’ve been avoiding silicones but still sometimes my hair just looks so weighed down. Tried washing every other day but the days I don’t wash, it ends up limp and dry/greasy. Also been seeing a curly hairdresser. First two cuts - great. Last one has turned out to be crap and my hair is so straight.

The first pic shows my hair a few months back - admittedly it was shorter but you can see it was curly. And the other pic is it now. I know it’s shorter and more layered in the first pic but I don’t think the length has much to do with it as my hair has been longer than it is now and much more curly/wavy. Help!

Strange don't blow dry your hair and don't brush until dry I always twist mine when wet and leave until dry I don't use any products but the shampoo for curly hair

I don’t blow dry. Occasionally use product (to see if it’ll make any bloody difference!!) and I scrunch water out of of my wet hair with a tshirt, as that’s what my hairdresser recommended. And still I get shitty limpness.

Have you tried a clarifying shampoo to make sure there's no residue left?

Has your diet changed recently/health issues?

Also, you could try the curly girl method. Doesn't work for everyone. I do a modified version of it.

I have the exact same problem, OP. I even considered getting a perm to make my curls look more 'uniform'! Have you tried L'Oreal Oleo Curl? Works really well for me.

I always blow dry mine (which is v similar to yours!) with a diffuser. I actually twirl the hair round the diffuser prongs which helps and sit the hair in the cradle.

But I also find it's hormones, weather and getting older. I had way more hair when I was younger and it was naturally curlier : now it needs much more persuasion!

I also use every hair product known to man so break all the rules! Tresemme stuff for curls is good and there's a pink hair mousse brand (forgotten which) but it does make my scalp itch.

If I leave my hair to dry naturally it is straight on top, curly on one side and wavy on the other.

My hair is like yours and I find that the weather plays a huge part. If it's damp then my waves are there and if the atmosphere is dry then they disappear. If I am by the sea, the salty air makes them particularly good. Maybe try a beach hair spray as they have salt in them? I also use one of those microfibre hair turbans things so I don't rub my hair at all with a towel/t-shirt.

What products are you using? Your hair looks a lot like mine and I found scrunching in a curl gel like Boucleme or Jessicurl Spiralicious gave me a lot of curl and held it all day.

You put them in soaking wet hair, they dry hard and then your break up the casts.

All my life I thought as I didn't have tight curls I needed a softer styling product, turns out I couldn't have been more wrong.

I also never ever brush my hair or comb it - fingers through in the shower should be enough to detangle, then scrunching up curls with gel, leave alone, fiddle about a bit when dry.

I keep chopping and changing shampoos and conditioners. Currently using Elvive anti dandruff as it keeps my scalp clear and it has no silicones. Also using Body Shop banana shampoo and conditioner as well as that Shea fruity one. I’ve been looking for a clarifying shampoo but can’t seem to find one?

Today I tried using the Elvive without any conditioner and put some boots curl cream in. Hair is a little more wavy but not much. Could conditioner be weighing it down.

I keep looking at the curly girls method but I don’t know where to start with it - it seems you need to experiment with lots of different methods and products to find what works but there seems to be soooo many variables. Or am I wrong??

For me it is no SLS in shampoo and no silicones. True curly girl is washing with conditioner and no shampoo - however lots of people, me included say this doesn't work for fine hair as they just get loads of build up and weighted down hair and no curls.

So I use a no SLS shampoo and a no silicone conditioner and a strong gel designed for curls, again no silicones.

If you go on the forums you can find loads of products that people like from the high street but I've found this hit and miss - eg there is lots of love for Bodyshop Rainforest but this turned my hair into dried up straw. I've had the best luck with products designed for curly hair like Boucleme, Jessicurl, Cantu, Ecostyler etc.

Your hair looks quite similar to mine. I would avoid shampoo with SLS. I've looked up the Elvive anti dandruff shampoo and the ingredients look quite harsh. I get the best results with Davines Love Curl shampoo - not cheap but it is v concentrated so you don't need to use much. My hair is less fussy about which conditioner as long as no silicone. I use either boots curl cream or Elnett curl mousse and dry with a diffuser.

Thanks both. So would the SLS be stripping my hair, do you think? I used Cantu once before and that made my hair very dry. But I’ll definitely look at Boucleme, Jessicurl, Ecostyler and Davines.

“Could conditioner be weighing it down.”

Yes, it could be.

If you’re going to look into sulphate free shampoos you’ll need to make sure everything else you’re using can be washed out by SLS free shampoo.

I think you need protein
Look for a shampoo or conditioner with keratin or silk in it

Ok, great suggestions but a few questions - how do I know if a shampoo will wash out the products I’ve used? Or is that what a clarifying shampoo would do (do clarifying shampoos contain SLS?) What will protein do? Can you get protein shampoos that don’t contain SLS?

I meant how do I know if an SLS fee shampoo will wash out product.

Highly recommend curly girl method. They have groups on Facebook with full instructions and what products are best to use.

Good luck

If you stay away from silicone based products that helps. Also if you are in a hard water area look for shampoo/conditioner with edta to get rid of the hard water deposits.
I use Shea moisture 10 in one shampoo, no SLS and protein. It's lush.

“I meant how do I know if an SLS fee shampoo will wash out product.”

You spend a lot of time reading labels... going SLS free is basically a version of doing curly girl, there’s a low poo version for wavy rather than full on curly hair.

how do you sleep? i have hair down to my bum and its quite thick, to keep my curls i sleep using a head band and wrap my hair round it in sections (like this goo.gl/images/PeqZ9S)

i do this after blow drying with a round brush, and i use an argan oil spray on damp hair.

Wow, my hair’s nowhere near as long! Just to my shoulders. Don’t do anything specific at bedtime as like I say, there are no curls to protect at the moment!