Help me with my curly hair

[humblemeep]

My hair is very curly on top, but goes straight underneath after a day, sometimes half a day, so that it looks like rats' tails! It's long, mid back length, was cut 3 months ago, just a trim with short layers and will be cut again in 2 weeks. I wash it twice a week. I hate using gel because then I can't comb it at all - I always use a wide toothed comb. If I don't comb it every morning it looks like I've been pulled through a hedge backwards! I always dampen it afterwards so the curls spring back but it doesn't help the layer underneath at the back!

At the moment I use leave in Childs Farm detangler, Cantu curl cream with a couple of drops of pure argan oil mixed in.

I've tried different conditioners, no difference. I've tried different wave/curl sprays, no different. It seems my hair just isn't curly underneath!

The solution at the moment is to tie it back and leave it to air dry, so it's not very curly and the straight bits don't stand out like a sore thumb all the time.

Anyone got similar hair and found a solution?

I've attached a photo.

Thanks. No it's not afro. I read somewhere that Cantu was quite good, but still so using it if it's too heavy. I've some mousse I bought ages ago from a hairdressers that's for curly hair, I'll try that instead.

Sorry for the typos, I meant, I'll stop using it.

Some good reviews and tips on here

https://curlmaven.ie

I have this issue. I got an undercut which solved it and now not so much hair to try and deal with. Just a small one nothing drastic but what a difference

This is where CG is problematic/expensive the trial and error to find the right product for your hair which can be affected by weather (hot muggy weather does something totally different than winter indoor dry air).
for me shampoo doesn’t matter (I shampoo weekly), I condition almost daily with DivaCurl conditioner then use MoroccianOil curl cream.
If you’re not too rural or if you want to email companies see if you can get samples.
I was surprised with make up how many places sent me samples when I contacted them for info.

I found the lovely curly haired Marissa and follow her tips: put products on fairly wet hair, scrunching hair upside down and then dry with a diffuser. I have had more compliments on my hair than ever before. I used to just put in product and let air dry. No longer.

I use John Freida Frizz Ease styling mousse, small dollop of Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly. I finish with a very small amount of Umberto Giannini’s No More Frizz serum on the finished dry hair.

https://www.marisascurls.com/

@humblemeep it's just on my shoulders when dry.

I hate having the stringy underneath bits hanging around my neck so it was a revelation when I realised I could just chop them off!

It can be quite hard to explain to a hairdresser for some reason as apparently curly hair is usually the opposite to ours, curlier underneath and straighter on top. Since lockdown I cut my own but I never straighten it so it's not too risky.

I've done that a few times too but don't know how to get the underneath shorter myself as I can't see it!

I washed mine last night, applied mouse from kms and gel, pineappled it for the night, it was super curly this morning but now the back is straight again 😭 maybe it's not just the underneath but all layers at the back, I don't know. I've sprayed on some curl revive from kms and tied it up again until later.

Mousse not mouse 😂

To cut my neck fringe I just section it off and tie the rest up high. Then I take manageable chunks, slide my fingers to the end and cut off a fingers width of hair on each section until I'm happy with it.

Or, I get annoyed with it and cut wildly at it after a glass of wine!

It depends on my mood.

Have you tried the technique with a brush to make it curl? It looks like a lot of effort but people swear by it.

I find the cantu hair custard much lighter than the creme and doesn't build up as much. Plus it has some hold - it's what I alternate with the pricier stuff.

My hair seems to have expensive tastes for styling but for conditioning/detangling I use the shea moisture superfruit or supergreens conditioners which are quite light but very slippy, so long as you scrunch them in with lots of water before combing. They're expensive full price but quite big bottles and often on offer. I liked the pink hibiscus maui moisture one, but my scalp very much didn't.

(and for shampoo, I make the saving and use vosene - it keeps the sticky build up at bay and stops my scalp from complaining about all the rich stuff too much)

Ok, worth a try. I haven't tried brush curling, do you have a link I could follow?

I've just diffuse dried it, it's not too bad, but not sure it'll stay curly any longer!

I actually had the Cantu custard, but ran out and didn't buy again.

I have a really sensitive scalp, so mostly use Childs Farm shampoo. I'm using an Organix conditioner for frizz at the moment, but alternate with Sainsburys own coconut conditioner.

I use Cantu cream but I have very curly hair that can take quite a heavy product. Pic for illustration! I don’t brush my hair at all- I detangle it with my fingers or a wide comb in the shower after conditioner and then apply curl cream, scrunch and let it air dry.
Maybe a lighter product or mousse might work better for your hair?

You may have a different curl pattern. The back of my hair is a lot straighter than the front.

Thank you. Your hair looks lovely.

Probably but I'd just like it to be curly all over.

I do find I have to really concentrate on the back of my head so I use a bit extra product there, scrunch for longer etc

Have a look at this for brush curling.
It looks like a faff but actually it doesn't take long if you're just focusing on one problem area where your curls aren't doing what you want. I do it on top section of my hair (I have opposite problem to you - curly underneath but curls go flat and frizzy on top).

I have the exact same hair with the same problem, much less curly and more just wavy at the back underneath and nothing works it's just my curl pattern I think