How to make curls look nicer

[WavyRavey]

I'm mixed race and have very big hair, i straightened it all my life and never embraced the curls til a few months ago

Some people have the super nice spiral curls but I don't, my hair grows up and out, it's huge and has quite a weird curl pattern, how do I make the curls themselves more defined?

I usually use a little cantu curls definer on the ends after getting them damp, not super into mousse as all mousse seems to make me crispy!

Recommendations for what shampoo and conditioner would be great too, right now I just use the extra volume Herbal Essences

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I think you may have to try different products on your hair to see what works for you, I've tried so many but it can be quite fun seeing what works.

I currently use for shampoo Frizzease for Curly hair then Frizzease for coils and kinks intensive conditioner or if budget allows Loreal curl expresions I brush through with the conditioner in. Then Oway protein spray, S Curl activator spray, a lot of it! Then maybe two big sqidges of Curls unleashed ORS & hair oil on the ends like Oway hair oil or Sol Jan.

It sounds a lot & probably is but I've only been wearing my hair curly the last few years & I'm really enjoying looking after it & nourishing the curls! Once you get the routine down it doesn't take long at all!
Also recommend silk bonnets or wraps! So good to keep the curls
Just as a side, the link button is so dangerously close to the trash button it was giving me anxiety as I was doing the last couple of links with my clumsy thumb😝

Apart from the products, you need a hairdresser who understands how to cut curly hair. Without a good cut, products are pointless

I’m not sure volume shampoo is a good idea for you if your hair is already big. IME volume shampoo increases fluffiness and makes curls less defined.

Oh okay i didn't know that!

I don't cut it I'm just growing it out

Yes, no extra volume products, they will make your hair frizzy. I agree that you need to find out what suits you, it’s not necessarily what others use.
I like my silk pillowcase, I can’t use a bonnet as my head gets too hot.
My hair is better with Only Curls conditioner and curl cream, or Frizz Ease conditioner. An I’m currently liking an Aussie curl shampoo.

Yeah volume shampoo is to get volume, not because your hair has volume already. It does this by fluffing up/bulking out each strand.

Oh wow I feel silly 😂 I'm gonna hit the shops at the weekend and have a look at Frizzease and Aussie

Go to a curl hairdresser. Curl Bar London is great. Even if not for a cut, they show you how to style your hair and have great products.

I recommend using lots of leave in conditioner before adding any products.

I don't find that products with silicone in do any favours for my hair long term - I don't use frizz ease as a result.

A good trim makes a lot of difference, if you can find a hairdresser who cuts curly hair well, then they will be able to cut it so the curls fall in sections rather than being fluffed up. Even if you're growing it out, it's worth getting a decent trim.

I love the only curls brand. Look up the curly girl method. And yes find a curly hair specialist.

I would avoid the frizz ease products - they seem to sit on top of your hair rather than moisturise it, but they used to be all that was around for curls. In superdrug now there is a wall of products to chose from designed for curly/coily hair.

i use a moisturising shampoo, cantu leave in conditioner, then a curl cream and a gel when hair is sopping wet. This works when my hair is short, but not do much when longer.

you can look up the curly girl method but it's a bit of a faff. But it is useful to work out what hair type you have and your hair's porosity (easy test - just put a hair in a glass of water!).

There are some lovely products out there at the more expensive end, but it's a case of working out what suits.

also a regular trim/style will help with growing out.

Have a look at Nuala Morley’s transformations on Instagram, curly hairdresser.

Fellow curly girl here. I dont recommend Frizz Ease tbh. I use the Umberto Giannini curl jelly range and if I want to spend more, I use the Curlsmith range. You need to use gel. Sounds weird, but it creates the most defined curl clumps. After diffusing or air drying, you scrunch it out so it's not hard. Look into the curly girl method. You don't have to follow it 100% but there's some good advice. Also look at curly hair influencers such as sophiemariecurly and hanzcurls etc on instagram. Whilst their hair texture might not be the same as yours, they walk you through how to do things.
Since wearing my hair curly the last few years, it's life changing tbh. No more killing my hair with straighteners. Good luck on your new hair journey!

I have less curly hair than you but I used to wear it straight and it has taken about a year of treating it like curly hair to get it to curly properly. I use silicon free shampoo and conditioner, cantu seem to be the cheapest and do a good job.

Definitely not frizz ease. I use the Cantu products or Trepadora if I'm feeling rich!
I use a leave in spray conditioner, then a curl creme type product, then gel, then mousse! Do not touch while it is drying (mine is better dried with a dryer, others prefer to leave it) & scrunch out the crunch when it's dry.
The best thing I did was find a curly hairdresser.

If you have the budget I recommend Curlsmith products. No nasties in any of them and you can do their online quiz to see which of their line will best suit your hair type. The downside is the cost. But you need less product to achieve your goal and for me that's worth it.
Also. Curly hair needs shape. Products only go so far in helping your hair look the best it can. A good curly cut will help your hair grow the way you want it to and you'll see it growing far better if it's git good shape.
I'm not a hairdresser btw! But I am a curly.

Even when you are growing it out, you need to manage the growth so that the layers sit properly. At least I do! Otherwise it grows like a birds nest

I use Trepadora, products plus I go to the salon twice a year. Expensive but worth every penny

Biggest thing that has helped me is diffusing my hair. I used to always air dry but it would go frizzy, diffusing has stopped that.

It takes a while for curls to 're-learn' their shape if they've been straightened for a long time, so keep at it.

My hair's fine so I wash with a body building shampoo/conditioner,

• comb Aveda Be Curly curl cream through soaking wet hair
• scrunch,
• scrunch some Aveda Confixor gel through,
• brush in sections with a Bouncecurl brush (game changing!)
• diffuse until the curls are slightly crispy. Then I leave it to dry completely without touching it - because that's how frizz happens - then shake out the curls.

I've also got a silk sleep bonnet which was stupidly expensive but does work to stop frizz.

Ironically all our frizz fighting may to an end soon - i read an article saying frizz was everywhere on the catwalks and was soon to be v fashionable!!

Have another go with mousse, but when it's dry and crispy, scrunch it again carefully to get rid of the crispyness. It's been a revelation for me since I abandoned mousse in the 90s!

Thank you everyone, there's so much to try! I find myself scalp gets very itchy if I use too many products so I quite like using lighter ones, if frizzy is back in then I'm away cos the whole thing puffs up 😂