Encouraging the curls

[Yogachick]

I’ve decided to embrace what turns out to be curly hair. I have fine hair but lots of it,I’m looking for definition and volume,particularly on top. I cba with the whole Curly Girl method. I follow someone with similar hair on Instagram, but adding up the products she uses it’s nearly £100! Do I suck it up & just order( I’m miles from proper shops so will have P&P on top) or do I try the only slightly cheaper Only Curls. Or can anyone suggest something else that won’t break the bank. I’m happy with my shampoo & conditioner & can get a decent curl with a bit of morrocan oil and airdrying but I’d like a bit more oomph & definition

There are loads of cheaper alternatives on the high street. e.g. Umberto Giannini has a range called Curl Jelly that you can get in Boots (currently on 3 for 2).

Depends how 'all in' you want to go.
Some people will get fixated on cutting out specific ingredients. Others keep the same shampoo/conditioner and focus on techniques like applying gel to really wet hair and scrunching and/or using microfibre hair wraps to 'plop' their hair. What works for one person doesn't always work for the next and what works one day, ditto the next. The joys of curly hair, it is a constant experiment.

I am still working our what works for me, but one thing I have stuck to consistently is that whatever else I change, every couple of weeks I do a clarifying wash with Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo to remove any build up of product. I try to avoid too much deep conditioner afterwards, but a lot of people swear it is essential.

Sorry, editing to add. I use a diffuser as well. I find it helps to 'lock' my curls/waves into clumps much more effectively than just air drying. Personal preference though.

There are also loads of groups on FB to guide and learn from. Some are kinder and less batshit extreme than others. One, that I joined for a bit, had rigid regimes of having to rotate products in a strict order. It was uber confusing and if you asked for help just got barked at to 'follow the guides'. Except the guides were completely impenetrable and had so many variants that unless you had some sort of degree in hair products it wasn't going to happen!

You don't need to buy expensive products.

Here's what I did.

Start with a cleanse. I actually used apple cider vinegar and bicarb of soda mixed with my shampoo. Lifted and cleansed my roots amazingly.

Use a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. I'm using OGX Coconut Curls and Hask Coconut conditioner. Aveeno is also good.

When you condition, comb through the hair with a wide comb to form clumps.

I have thick long hair so I plaited it into 4 sections and clipped Them up and left it to deep condition for 30 mins. Probably not essential.

Rinse thoroughly.

On either soaking wet hair or squeeze some moisture out with a microfibre towel or tshirt (experiment with wet or drier hair) (normal towel can create friction or frizz).

Then add a Curl creme and run through hair with hands in a prayer 🙏 motion over sections of hair. I use Aussie Work That Curl. Not expensive.

Then get a gel, I use one from Noughty as it was on offer but I heard Umberto Giannini is good too.

This part is the most important part. Scrunch upwards for about 5 minutes with the gel. You can rotate your head while doing it, lean forward, sideways etc.

Then either leave to air dry or gently diffuse.

That will give you a basic idea of how your curls will look.

Another option is to Google Curly Hair Salon and find a curly hairdresser and go for a curly cut or wash and blowdry. There are now quite a few who will show you the whole method to achieve curls from wavy hair and teach you it.

I use Holy Curls. You can get a bundle for £42 with their products in smaller sizes to see if you actually like them.
I highly recommend them, my hair has never looked as good as it does now since using it. There's no silicones, its vegan and it smells lovely.

Diffuser upside down will help with volume.

Heres my before and 2 afters from first 2 attempts.

I'm going to add an oil to try and get more shine. Also both times I slept with it in a towel to finish the drying. I think I need to just diffuse then air dry which means doing it in the morning. As mine takes forever to dry.

I'm also going to go to a curly salon as I want to get a realistic idea if I'm going to get more curls or not.

It's more of a weekend messy look for me Atm.

Also there's a need to refresh it the second day. Not tried it yet but think it will involve empty spray bottles with water or conditioner and then a bit more gel to scrunch.

Forgot to add if you diffuse , use a heat protectant spray. I just bought a cheap one in boots.

I have curly hair and I've found the biggest difference by far is having a really really good hair cut at a place for curly hair. That and mousse or gel while wet.
diffuser is good but often I can't be arsed and I hate the noise.

I wouldn't spend a lot. I bought a tub of something that was like putting jam on my hair, chucked it away.

Recently bought Aussie curl cream - only about £4 and has helped improve my hair

I think the biggest difference I got was with a Dyson diffuser, much less frizz -I have fine wavy/curly hair I use Boucleme curling gel, dry roots upside down and the ends.

I have very curly hair.
I do t wash it very often- maybe once a fortnight - and use this bar shampoo when I do. Then conditioner (this), then pat and air dry. In between washes, I condition and use something like Cantu curl cream.

I only ever brush it if I am about to wash it, then comb it when damp, with a wide tooth comb.

I'd just play around with different products to see what works for you. I have lots of fine hair, like you, and many if them weigh down on it too much. The John Frida curl mousse works fairly well for me, as do knock-off products. But the haircut is most important really - in particular, getting quite a lot of lightening done below the top layer of hair which makes it curl up much better - otherwise the sheer mass of it makes the lower layers go flat. Takes a bit of persuasion with a new stylist as apparently that's not the standard they get taught for more robust/straight hair, but over a few sessions they get it.

I have curly hair but like you cba with complicated and expensive regimes.

I tend to buy cantu products when on 3 for 2. My hair likes it, it smells lovely (people always comment on it) and if bought on offer it's fairly affordable as hair products go (and certainly a lot less expensive than many curly girl products.

I have learnt over the years that whilst my hair tolerates curl creme or mouse scrunched through damp hair, I get the best results with gel applied to soaking wet hair. I suspect I would get better results again if I could be bothered to diffuse it, but alas life is too short and busy for that level of faff. I plop with a microfibre towel and let it air dry.

hairdresser wise, I agree that you need to find someone who understands how to cut in a way that is sympathetic to your curls. If you are lucky, you may find one of these angels in a regular salon instead of having to pay £££ for a salon that markets itself as specialising in curly cuts.

I have never bothered with expensive regimes or specialist curly hair salons. My regime is Tresumme coconutty shampoo and conditioner with Boots curl crème after towel drying. Then I let it dry naturally, occasionally scrunching it with my head upside down.

I will say here that I'm wavy to very loose curls.
Cantu shampoo & conditioner. I use a hair mask about once a fort. Then I occasionally use a curl cream, again cantu as it came in a bundle or a hair oil.

@User19876536484 you look like Carrie Bradshaw with your hair 😍

I too want to try and embrace my curls this year but it needs washing a lot more when it's curly and as soon as I sleep on it it goes flat, has anyone invested in a silk type bonnet to sleep in and has it helped?

Thanks all for suggestions,I got a curly hair heat protector & some Wella curly hair mousse. I’ll start with them & the morrocan oil . Hairdresser said the more I encourage the curls the better they will get but if these don’t do what I want I have lots of economical options to try so very much appreciated x