How to make my hair look less shit without heat

[pumpkintits]

I am having a hair crisis! Recently got it cut and the only way I could style it that looked good was by curling it with my straighteners.

Unfortunately this must have really damaged my hair the few times I did it as the following day when I brushed my hair it had the texture of wirey cotton wool.

I'm trying not to use heat on it but if I leave it to try naturally, it's wavy (not in a beach wave type way, in a frizzy uneven wave kind of way) and it looks awful.

Does anyone have any miracle products I can try that might help it look less shit when left to dry?

I wash every other day as I have oily hair, the shampoo I use leaves it feeling lovely and soft but not sure if it's the best thing to use (I've read sulfate free shampoo is best?)

I've attached pictures of said birdsnest - this is after being washed and left to dry without any product in

I'd say you've got wavy hair, and following some advice from one of the many curly hair groups and bloggers may help.
My hair is much better with sulphate free, and no heat. Also, if you xan stretch the says between washes slightly, it might help.

What happens if you wash a night, plait and just leave to dry? Do you get the waves you want that way?

I have greasy scalp, but dry mid length and ends.
The shampoo I use doesn't seem to matter, but what does make the difference is the conditioner. Silicone free conditioner really helps. It seems to make my hair less greasy, but better conditiones.
It doesn't have to be expensive. Alberto Balsam coconut is fine. Or Garnier hair food Banana if I'm feeling flush.
The latter can be used as a leave in conditioner (tiny tiny bit run through the ends of damp hair) which I find really helps.

Yeah it looks much better if I plait and leave in overnight (as long as I don't then brush it, then it goes hugely fluffy and poofy 😭)

I could possibly wash every 3 days, I just hate my hair being greasy especially as I have a side fringe which looks awful and gets greasy so easily.

Do you have any recommendations for sulphate free shampoos and conditioners? I have used them before but remember feeling like I couldn't clean my hair properly as it didn't lather up the way I was used to.

Is the Garnier banana food sulphate free?? That's the one I've been using (among other Garnier shampoos) and the ones that have left my hair feeling really soft!

Conditioning treatments?

Have you tried bathrobe belt curls?

www.google.co.uk/search?q=bathrobe+belt+curls&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

Or you can get specific things to do a similar process now
Uses no heat but keeps curls good for 2-3 days and you can put leave in Conditioner before you wrap it

Ditch your towel for a T-shirt, or a towel made of T-shirt fabric. My favourites are Good Wash Day ones. Loads of advice on Pinterest/IG but be prepared for some trial and error.

Why not dry shampoo the scalp areas that are greasy and try and wash less and condition the ends more?

Try curly girl. Scrunch when wet and your hair will look gorgeous.

Oddly the best conditioner I've ever used is Superdrug Hair Plex. It saved my fried bleach hair!! (Better than Olaplex!) Cheap as chips too. I think it was £10 & now I can brush my hair without finding broken off bits on my jumper. X

Curly girl method?

I have looked at the curly girl method but in all honesty I found it a bit...intimidating? Maybe that's not the right word 😂 but I couldn't figure out my hair type and the group I joined on Facebook was very strict and I left feeling even more confused!

I have used a t-shirt instead of a towel, switched to a hair turban that I wrap my hair and leave on without scrunching or rubbing it dry. Also I saw on another thread people recommending Phillip Kingsley Elastisizer so I've jumped in and ordered a bottle as they had it reduced on Justmylook.

im with you OP, we have similar hair.
Mine curls slightly when wet then drops out whether brushed or not to a soft yet fuzzy wave.

I dont like curly girl and it seems to create too much definition, and i prefer more tousled, natural looking waves. I dont much care for the forced curl look. It looks like so much utter goddamn faff no matter how people insist it isnt. I tried it a few times in the past and my head felt like greasy worms.
People seem to think that if there's any frizz or bend to your natural hair then you are 'curly'. This is about as forced as ironing it straight.

Plaiting and using good hair treatments works well - although for longer hair. If it's shoulder length a bit trickier.
I have had success with toni&guy leave in conditioner, it allows me to dry my hair naturally and adds shine without gunk or slimy/tackiness. I have found less is more for my frizzy, porous hair, which isnt what people usually advise!

My hair cheered up a lot after ditching the tons of serums and crap that I was putting in it. I just shampoo with Molten Brown and add the leave in conditioner later.

The worst thing one can do to this type of hair is colour it. Worth it if you love the colour but much harder to keep healthy.

Try the Wavy Method International Facebook group, not at all intimidating, not strict and nobody will tell you off if you use sulphates or silicones.

Try co-washing some of the time. Really helps my hair when it's looking fried.

I really like the JVN air dry cream - apply to mid lengths and ends, scrunch it in and let hair dry naturally

I have much crazier hair. I find using a good moisturising styling cream (I like living proof 5-in-1 cream but it's expensive) a drop of oil (Nuxe) on damp hair then plaiting it overnight works well. Twisting works well too - sort of twisting the hair round from each side of the parting and clipping at the back.

Mine is curlier than yours but can also look like yours OP. I started curly girling but in a very casual way. To me your hair needs moisture, it looks dry and brittle

Aussie shampoo and conditioner and Oyx (might be spelt wrong!) ones are really good and sulfate free

i would try :-

lots of conditioner when in the shower, really rub it in the roots, then run your fingers through it, rinse out

wrap it in a t shirt whilst you get dressed

flip hair upside down and just quickly loosen it with your fingers at the scalp to
give a bit of body (just like a quick scalp massage, not pulling her fingers through your hair)

then i put a bit of a curly moisture cream on from boots, just a quick loose scrunch here and there

1 clip each side of my ‘fringe’ and a big clip to hold the rest up, leave for few hours

dont shampoo, only brush when it has conditioner on, don’t make it too scientific and time consuming/tidy

I use an argon oil and bed head after party cream after washing hair. They make your hair feel amazing 🙂 I then let it air dry to 80/90%. Add a heat protective spray before drying the rest with hair dryer on a very low heat.

Also after washing and conditioning hair, I blast it with ice cold in shower in a few minutes. It closes the cuticle 👍

You could only wash your side fringe some days if worried about grease.

My hair can be similar. I have managed it by doing the following

Once a week using the Phillip Kingsley elastizer. I used it over night. You don’t need to but I find it suits my routine better. Mid lengths and ends only.

I oil my scalp at the same time. People with oily hair can do this as well, you need to find an oil that suits though. I went through a few before I found one.

I use a leave in conditioner on the ends after I wash it, when it’s damp. Then every night I use a light spray leave in conditioner on my ends. Just a little. Wrap my hair in a silk bonnet.

I don’t get the frizz any more and my waves look like waves rather than frizzy and messy.

and if I do use heat, I always use a heat protector.

I have similar hair. I Percy and reed wonderbalm dried in a pine apple on top of your head. Or I really like to use colour glaze. It coats your hair adding thickness and glossiness but not weight, tames fly always and is bird nest resistant. Your hair is a lovely colour though so there are clear versions.

Following, as my hair is similar to yours.

Curly method seems like a massive faff and you have to spend a lot of time with your hair looking kinda shit. I can’t be bothered with that lol.

I’ve just started oiling my scalp. And I ditched straighteners at the end of last year. When I use a hairdryer I use it on the colder setting.

If you have wavy hair then the full curly girl may be too much for your hair. I just use a curly shampoo and conditioner, rarely a curl activator. I just leave it to dry naturally and it looks fine.

I've never understood the no towel rule. Mine is wrapped up in a turban immediately and its never had any ill effects.

I haven't tried it but have a look at merwave. Intended for wavy rather than curly hair. My hair is too curly for it but looks like it might suit you.

merwave.co.uk

Following with interest as my hair is really similar. I've tried letting it air dry or diffusing, and putting a texturising spray on it as well as a leave in conditioner but it still seems to end up frizzy and crunchy.