A question for those with curly/wavy hair

[ConstanceL]

After 25 years of straightening my hair, I'd like to try and embrace my curly waves, I have fine collarbone length 2c hair. I can make it look nice after I've washed and styled it, but then it gets ruined over night and looks terrible the next day, sticking out in strange directions or just clumping together. How do people with curly/wavy hair keep it looking good without having to wash it every morning and start from scratch?

I'm the opposite of most people on here and need to keep my curls/waves away from water if I want them to look any good. Wash day is frizz day, it settles after that! I just scrunch it with a curl cream to refresh each morning.

I’m also a 2c and have started using a frizz ease serum after washing on day 1, with light diffusing after washing. I find that my curls on day 2 are passable now, although not as good it’s good enough for me.

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone but you have confirmed my fears that curly hair is just too high maintenance for me with all the lotions, potions and different techniques you are all using. I've been straightening my hair since I was around 15 and when it's straight I can just get out of bed, give it a quick comb with my fingers and then go about my day! Looking after curly hair so it looks good sounds like a full time job in itself :)

@ConstanceL my curls are honestly problem free and hassle free once I found the right products. I just use a rake comb on it everyday and it is great. I would persevere unless you like straightening

[quote friendlyflicka]@ConstanceL my curls are honestly problem free and hassle free once I found the right products. I just use a rake comb on it everyday and it is great. I would persevere unless you like straightening[/quote]
Thanks I’m glad you have found the right regime for your hair :) I don’t really like straightening as it’s terrible for my hair, and it is making my fine hair even finer 😭 It’s quite overwhelming to know where to start as as this thread shows there is no easy one size fits all solution for curly/wavy hair! But you have inspired me to persevere for a little while longer :)

I use the Cantu range of shampoo ( only every other wash) and the conditioners. In the morning I damp it and scrunch with my fingers to revitalise the curls, waves. Sometimes with a small dollop of curl reviver. I never use a comb or brush and have a stylist who knows how to cut curls into a Bob.

I pin mine up every night. Take it down and it regains it's curl when I have a shower.

Silk pillowcase and pineappley hair.
I wash it once a week using Only Curls products. Diffuse dry. I don't add anything or do anything to it for the rest of the week.

@ConstanceL

Thanks for all the replies and advice everyone but you have confirmed my fears that curly hair is just too high maintenance for me with all the lotions, potions and different techniques you are all using. I've been straightening my hair since I was around 15 and when it's straight I can just get out of bed, give it a quick comb with my fingers and then go about my day! Looking after curly hair so it looks good sounds like a full time job in itself :)

Ah mine are easy, I think once you have the right things it’s fine. I spray mine lightly in the mornings and put some curl cream through it and it works a treat. Wash it once a week, and heavily condition and that’s all I need.

I let mine dry naturally 99% of the time. I use frizz ease which gives me defined curls. Never go to bed with damp hair or your curls will be flattened. The next day I dampen it a tiny bit and scrunch my curls up in my hands. Does the job

My Easy low maintenance naturally curly hair regime:
Shower in the morning.
Shampoo every other day. Less often if your hair/scalp tends to be dry, more often if you tend to get oily.
Wrap in towel to dry but don't rub your hair with it.
Put a tiny or small amount of hair cream on your hands and finger comb it through. Use more for humid, frizz prone days, less if it makes your hair greasy or weighed down.

If you want to shape ringlets, wrap sections of hair around your fingers.

Allow to dry naturally.

If your hair tends to be dry, use conditioner. Aveda has some good products that add moisture without adding too much weight or greasiness.

I find that "ORS curls unleashed" hair creams control frizz reasonably well, they smell nice and doesn't contain any plastics, parabens, sulphites which makes it better for your health and the environment.

You may need to experiment a bit and your hair may change in texture and condition over time while it recovers/grows out after having been straightened frequently.

orshaircare.co.uk/

It really does depend on your hair type. I have fine hair and don't get on with the Curly Girl stuff at all.

My products are all fairly expensive. I use a kerastase conditioner which is brilliant, and I use Bumble and Bumble hair products - the curl cream and the surf spray and then I comb with a rake and respray every day.

I have 2c hair.

The best thing I ever did was find a hairdresser that cuts only curly hair and she has taught me how to manage it. I now get it cut only twice a year if that and wash it once a week. It’s never looked better.

Only comb it in the shower, apply products when it sopping wet and squeeze them in, re-apply water and product as necessary while drying. This helps to form clumps. I dry with a dyson diffuser and never go near it with a traditional towel. I have the boucleme curls towels, but an old tshirt would do. I squeeze in the curls using the towel.

I use Kerastase shampoo and conditioner but used to use phytology which I also loved.

I tie it up on top of my head to sleep. I draw the line at a silk bonnet as I do actually want my husband to find me attractive

I refresh if it needs it, by spraying with water and applying product.

I know you're not meant to do this, but I gently brush my hair the next day and then wet the brush and brush through again. My hair will be wet, but not dripping wet. After I let it air dry, my curls end up better than the previous day.

I embraced my curls about 4 years ago. I found keretese have the best leave in products for my curls. Also a silk pillow helps to stop frizz overnight!

It sounds like I have similar hair to your's.

I've also found the pineapple and turban methods do not work. Next I'm going to try a silk scarf to wrap around as the flipping up of my hair in the other methods means it goes crazy!

So far the only thing that's worked is washing early enough the day before that it can almost have dried completely naturally by bed, which obviously does take hours! But putting a fair amount of product in so it's caste (sp?) ie feels fairly hard and crispy. By the morning the curls USUALLY feel soft and relatively neat so either good to go or need a bit of damping and neatening. Still fairly unpredictable though and often turns into a ponytail day.

Easy to say but the less you straighten the less frizzy you'll be!

I have shoulder length ringletty curly hair and love it!

I wash it every 4 days and it stays pretty much the same until the end of day 4. I don't comb or brush it in between washes, just use hair pins overnight to pin the curls in place and put gel and hairspray on it the next morning. I'm not going to lie, the hair pins dig in and I don't sleep too well but it's worth it as I get so many comments about my hair 😊

I’ll be honest I gave up on the curly hair method after about six months because absolutely my hair was in beautiful condition it was like silk and on the days when the curls behaved it was great but you’re absolutely right it was like owning another pet or having charge of an extra small child it was just extra extra work for mae and I’ll be really honest with you and I know this isn’t very popular curly hair make me look really old I like I haven’t made any effort even when quite the opposite was true .

I have worn mine curly/wavy for the last couple of years most of the time. I went through the whole "curly girl" journey and found it just was too much effort and too strict for me, I found a shampoo that suits me and a conditioner I love. My hair is probably more 3a than 2c as more curly than wavy but I find a tiny (half a pea) amount of a curl cream like cantu on wet hair and a shower brush to loosen my hair from the scalp and a gentle application of a small amount of mousse followed by either diffusing or drying naturally is best for me. My hair always looks insane in the morning, but I find wetting my hands and grazing it over the top of my hair maybe with a tiny bit of conditioner mixed in if it is particularly frizzy or dry feeling and that generally sorts it out. Trial and error is the only way I'm afraid!

If you get it right then curly can be very very low maintenance.

I could never get the hang of or be bothered with straightening my hair. It's also really nice ringlet curls so seems a bit silly to when I'm lucky enough to have it.

It might be cause I'm used to it but I never worry if it's a little bit wild & big.

I always sleep with my hair in a pineapple as it stops it rubbing and knotting. I barely do anything to it between washes although sometimes I might dampen it and smooth some conditioner and gel through it.

On wash day I use As I am co wash, or sometimes Noughty Shampoo, then Garnier hair food conditioner, then I do the LOC method this is the order you put products in the idea is to keep mouisture in the hair shaft L is for Leave in (my usual conditioner) O is for oil ( usually cheap argan oil) then Cream ( this can be substituted for Gel although sometimes I use a hair cream then a hair gel) I'm currently liking the As I Am range but ECO is a good hair gel and cheap, it feels sticky but dries well.

With some Gels you have to scrunch them once your hair is dry to prevent that stiff hair look.

@Jessie75

I’ll be honest I gave up on the curly hair method after about six months because absolutely my hair was in beautiful condition it was like silk and on the days when the curls behaved it was great but you’re absolutely right it was like owning another pet or having charge of an extra small child it was just extra extra work for mae and I’ll be really honest with you and I know this isn’t very popular curly hair make me look really old I like I haven’t made any effort even when quite the opposite was true .

I actually know what you mean, curls and waves look great on other people but I feel like I look quite scruffy with my natural curls, my hair is so much shinier and I want to say polished but polished is not my look at all when it is straight. I wanted to try and embrace the natural look going into my 40s, but the natural look seems like so much hard work 😂 There are so many good hints and tips people have posted though, thank you all.

For those of you that persevered trialling lots of different products and techniques before you found the right one, how did you stay motivated? Did you have an image in mind how you wanted your hair to look from the start? And how did you know which products to start with?

I must be very lucky mine just looks amazing as soon as i get out of bed. No product or anything. If i twirl it around my finger it will re curl

I've done the curly girl method and it gave great results, but can be hard work.
I use this now www.redken.co.uk/products/haircare/curvaceous/curvaceous-full-swirl-curly-wavy-hair-cream-serum and let it dry naturally - it's wonder stuff!
I agree with PP that say don't wash too often and use a leave in conditioner, and no brushing, comb only when wet

Wash every day, leave conditioner in, scrunch dry with towel, apply dollop mousse or other curly hair product to hands, rub together then finger through the bottom 3/4 (not roots) leave to air dry. Repeat daily.

Curly hair is a process. I'm not sure you ever find the right product/technique. I've been CGM for over a decade and I'm still changing things around!

Unfortunately I need to wet my hair and do a full refresh every day if I want my hair to look decent. I can get away with doing it in a sink or heavily spraying it with water sometimes though. I have very fine, thin hair so I usually leave it to air dry and overall it doesn't take up a lot of time.