How to Style "Irish" Hair

[EdithGrantham]

I have mid length hair that is very wavy, almost curly at the back and lower layers then almost straight from the ears forward. I've been trying for around 2 years to use curly methods in case that would convince the front sections to develop a wave, all to no avail. I saw something on Reels that described this hair type as "Irish" I don't have any Irish roots so I'm not sure it's that scientific but was nice to finally see someone else with the same hair type.

Anyway; I was hoping there'd be some styling tips in the comments but nothing, so any ideas? I usually just clip back the front sections but I'm bored of that but also don't have much time/skill to do much else. If a particular cut would work I'd be open to changing that as well, I have a fringe but am in the process of growing it out.

Hi I am Irish but I’ve no idea what your describing, can you post a picture?

Well blow me down. I'll admit I looked at this thread and thought it was a completely nutty and ripe for ridicule. But I googled what it meant and is exactly what my hair is - curly underneath and straight on the top layers. (And I have Irish parents.)

Having dealt with it for years I generally beat the whole lot into submission with straighteners.

I suspect I may be the only with this reaction and it is a coincidence so subsequent posters feel free....

As I said I don't think it's necessarily all Irish people or limited to Irish people, probably just a convenient way to describe it and make people feel better that they have odd hair! I can't find the reel that I saw but this is what Google comes up with. Mine is much thicker and shorter than this photo (can't take one atm as I'm in bed!)

I used to straighten mine too but it takes forever and I can never get it to look polished, it just ends up looking straight but still frizzy iyswim

This is a revelation - I have exactly this hair type and am of Irish descent. Following with interest!

PS what shampoo/conditioner do you use? Mine has become way easier to style since I started having keratin treatments and using a sulphate free shampoo and conditioner. I still have the wave when it dries naturally but it is much easier to quickly blow dry straight ish.

I am Welsh and my hair is the opposite. The top layers are really curly, corkscrew in parts, underneath is very slightly wavy.

Maybe it is a Celtic thing to have wayward hair?

Even if the top layer is styled to match the waves in the rest, it only about an hour. No shampoo or conditioner has ever made a difference. I am lucky in that once straightened, my hair doesn't change. I can comb it next day and it goes into shape and only needs washing every few days.

I never get a wet cut and blow dry, however. It is never right for me. Luckily my hairdresser understands and does a cut for me on my clean, dry and straightened hair.

I am in my more mature years though. It took me many years to work out what was best for my own hair.

DD1 has hair like sounds like the reverse of this - DH was born in England but she has 4 Irish grandparents on his side. We've always chuckled at one section of hair at the back that is straight but all her front sections are ringlets. Off to Google...

I started using Cantu as I thought if I could use curly shampoo it might convince the straighter bits to curl, no such luck lol!

This is a thing? I always thought my hair was weird and a pain in the arse just for the sake of it.

Ah mine will hold a curl if I heat style it but I can't figure out how to just do the straighter bits to match the waves

I have Irish parents and this type of hair - I always say my good curls are underneath.

I'm Irish and this is my hair 🙋never knew it was a thing!

Wella mousse is my friend, plenty in the front and top and then scrunch out the crunch when it dries

Have you tried cutting out the shampoo or reducing it to weekly or two weekly?
Mine has a few bits that are straighter on the front, but mostly ringlets. I curl the front bits around my fingers and squish them up and they dry more curly. I shampoo every two or three weeks and just rinse and condition between. It's less frizzy when I do this. I put garnier hair food on as a leave in and sometimes L'oreal Curl expression.
I'm getting a diffuser hairdryer for Christmas so I'm hoping it'll be more even curls.
I'm Welsh.
Dd has a few ringlets underneath and straight hair over the top no matter how we try to do it.

Oh and I put it in straight after a wash when my hair is soaking, then wrap it in a towel.
If I put it in after towel it is just a flat frizzy mess on top.

I had great hopes for the diffuser dryer but it just makes the straighter bits stand out more. I think I'm probably not doing it right though

I am utterly shooketh OP. My 3 year old has very short curly hair, but I’ve often commented on how the top layer is straight. She’s Irish on her dad’s side! Madness!

I'm English and have hair like this. Ringlets underneath with some straight overlay, PITA to do anything with.

I can't quite believe I never heard of this before!! Irish hair, who knew

Half Irish and have thick crazy hair. Curly, wavy and straight. I get a keratin treatment every 4 months which sorts it out. Out of interest does your hair grow really fast too? I get mine cut and two weeks later it's back to the pre-cut length.

I only wash it twice a week but could probably get away with skipping the shampoo every other time so will give that a go. I have a diffuser which does help the curls look lovely and shiny but the front sections stay stubbornly dull and frizzy

Luckily it just grows at a normal rate for me!

So glad to hear it's not just me struggling with how to manage hair like this, I always thought it was because I am a bit inept with cosmetic stuff generally but maybe I can blame my hair!

I don't have the attention span to do proper things to my hair so I'm a lost cause anyway, but one thing that kinda helped is this shampoo and conditioner.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TIGI-Antidotes-Resurrection-Shampoo-Conditioner/dp/B01AC34TS8/ref=mpssa113?crid=FSR9A3AYZVJ1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.j7s49rVN7dJkpq9CxRMPghI7zUNLJits28hNRgCELEt1Isjj6OXEHsaSTK6GPgnOfLr5fSsEUwHSqEj3royk0i0Mk1BJEQbwCTIJSR6Iwql2Dyo39HSfkkwrPBCWFbSGVrtgooz8HdpKBbUl-ulPPnmeCgOyGZzRJ4pscjygDqLXubk47Do9oOpbBEUfoIDIJpfD1znYZhIX6qqYwddA.G-5RerxijZKOlNBnbk7p02t6hx0NtjreMYfnZCdWSWM&dib_tag=se&keywords=tigi+bed+head+shampoo+and+conditioner&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1734823320&sprefix=tigi%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3

I also twist my hair into buns when still slightly wet and sleep on it over night. It adds the wave to the flat bits and it tends to last a lot longer.

Still a pain in the arse awkward hair though.