Can you really create curls from chaos????

[WSID44]

So I saw an ad, I should probably ignore it, but it showed a woman with hair a bit like mine ie a bit 'bigger' and frizzy than I want, but straightened into some degree of submission. And supposedly the 'curly girl method' tamed it into lovely healthy looking waves. I defintely have waves, but they are so all over the place that I cant believe I could ever turn them into something attractive. So it is possible?? Given I do have a wave/curl going on,is it just a matter of knowing what to do or what products to use??

Is it possible? Yes. But it will take time, trial & error in finding the right products & routine for you.
I've got my curly hair into a better place using a routine based on the Curly Girl Method, but without the gel.

I had that straight and frizzy combo hair that you describe. It's been like that since loads fell out and grew back postpartum. I've been doing CGM since April 2022 and tried loads of products and techniques. I'm very committed. My hair still looks absolutely shit 80% of the time with just enough fleeting moments of fab cascading waves to keep me trying. At least I'm not a slave to the ghds anymore.

Your hair sounds too dry,
You need to use something like this: Palmer's Olive Oil Formula Deep Conditioner, leave it overnight, wash out, put leave in conditioner on soaking wet hair squish it into the the hair (not roots) then a gel on top then airdry if possible. The gel may harden the hair so you break the cast with your hands, also a moisturising mousse could help, just steer clear of protein products for a while.

Going to a hairdresser who specialises in curly hair will give you the look you want, and they will tell you what products to use.

The biggest difference I've seen is from not brushing my hair, use a wide tooth comb when wet but then leave it. All the curly girl products haven't worked for me in whatever combination I've tried.

Time, products and experimenting
This is mine air dry with no product, and then actually styled with product and diffused

@Rebel2023 please can you share what products you use and how? Your hair is amazing!

@tappinginto2023 I swap about a lot but generally
Shampoo with something gentle (bounce curl shampoo)
Conditioner, brush through with a denman paddle brush, squish and rinse (Aldi volume, creightons micellar)
Rake through a mousse or foam (wella, pantene, flora and curl)
Rake through a gel and squish (treluxe, aveda, jessicurl)
Flip head to each side and squish more, add more gel if needed
Diffuse and then break the cast when it's dry

And that's when it all falls part for me....so many steps and products.
Your hair looks fab though.
And why I wear my hair in a messy bun 99% of the time!

@tappinginto2023 I promise it doesn't take that long!
Shampoo and conditioner you would do anyway
Then you can just use a gel and air dry
The actual wash/products takes me maybe 15 mins

I'm the same @tappinginto2023
It's a lot of effort and does look ok on day 1
Day 2 banshee
Day 3 banshee who's been out on a broom all night
Then it's full of knots underneath
I've never found a decent product for a refresh and I've tried lots. I have a mist bottle mixed with water and a bit of conditioner but then it just ends up a mess.

@HumourReplacementTherapy it's the refresh that gets me too! I can't be doing with the full routine every couple of days; hair doesn't need a wash it's still very wearable but even sleeping in a silk bonnet seems to trash my fragile curls!

I definitely can't refresh. Leaving the cast as long as I can seems to help, and I wear a buff thing at night with a silk pillowcase. I've got really fine hair
Usually mine is
Wash day fine
Day 2 fine
Day 3 ponytail
Day 4 messy bun
Day 5 really should wash it but I'll wear a bun again....

I've given up, I've wasted so much money on curl products. I hate the feel of my hair with product and it needs washing every day if it's curly. I'm resigned to using my hot brush forever!

i also hate the feel of hair full of product and my hair feels so heavy and an itchy head.

it’s always tied up atm anyway coz DS fav thing is to pull it ….so that is also not helping my curls haha

@PinkSparklyPussyCat have you tried the curly girl method? The products that they would recommend are all silicone free and when you find the right combo it shouldn't clog the hair at all. Coconut oil is too heavy for some people for example but once you find what works, it definitely shouldn't need washing every day - it's the opposite!

I haven't tried Curly Girl as I've wasted far too much time and money on my hair.
I've got so many products I could open a shop! At least if it's straight all I need is shampoo, conditioner and heat spray.

If it's curly I wash it every day as it looks awful on the second day where I've slept on it. Spraying it doesn't work, it just goes frizzy so I start again. When it's straight I just have to straighten any bits that stick out so it only takes me a couple of minutes.

Yes, I'm lazy when it comes to my hair!

@Rebel2023 your curls are stunning! Yes you can, I use Cantu products which a made for Afro hair but my hair is thick and needs a lot of moisture. It does take a little while for the curl pattern to form itself especially if you’ve straightened it a lot so keep going.