How do I make my hair curly all the way up (photo)

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After 35 years of straightening my hair I’ve finally embraced my curls and have been wearing it curly/wavy for the last month. I can’t believe how much easier it is to get ready doing practically nothing to my hair!

I use curl specific shampoo and conditioner, leave my hair proper wet and scrunch some curl cream into it. I then let it air dry and scrunch throughout that time.

My only annoyance is that while wet my hair is curly all the way to the scalp, when it dries, it pulls the hair down I think and around my scalp it loses all the curls.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get it to curl all the way up without spending hours on it?

Thanks!

You look like you have similar hair to me. You need something with more hold than curl cream, the weight of you'd hair is pulling the top straight.

I wash then squeeze out water with hands, detangle as little as possible with wide tooth comb then scrunch in a lot of umberto Giannini curl gel, the one in the bright pink tube.

I scrunch out the worst of the wet with a smooth microfiber towel or old t-shirt then either leave to air dry or use a diffuser. To get the most shape up top you need a diffuser to support the weight of the hair whilst it dries otherwise it pulls it straight.

Once dry you have ridiculously crunchy hair. Scrunch through curl cream. Or leave crunchy overnight so you can get a fast start next morning.

It's the weight of your hair pulling it straighter, so the answer is to have less hair. My hairdresser chops a lot of layers into mine and thins out here areas where it's quite thick and that takes it from having a bit of a kink to proper waves. It's also a lot curlier at the moment at just below shoulder length than when it was half way down my back.

I came to say that you need your hair shaped round your face more and more layers. You are trying to curl a straight hair style. I would also let your hair dry naturally as much as possible then defuse. Never dry from wet

When I had a perm I used to scrunch it using a strong mouse and the curls stayed curly and didn’t relax near the top.

You have a gentle wave and it's not that long, but if it had layers it'd likely bounce up a bit more. If you 'pineapple' it as it dries that may help too.

Probably needs a cut. Mine always curls better after one.

Definitely needs some top layers to lighten up the weight & some texture/slices throughout the crown for lift. And then use a lighter product - curl cream is probably a bit too heavy for your hair, which looks to be quite fine (even if there’s a lot of it!)

*edited for sentence structure🙃

Thank you all so much for the replies. Yea, you’re all right, I have a straight cut and I probably need to rethink it in ‘curly’ terms! And it absolutely does need a cut. I have fine hair but lots of it!

Thank you, I’ve seen this product and heard of scrunching out the crunch but often the hair is left with this ‘wet look’ that I really don’t like. Does yours all scrunch out and leave hair looking natural?

Thank you! What is the ‘pineapple’?

Thank you. What would you recommend other than curl cream?

I put mine in two French plaits, that makes it curly/very wavy from right near the roots.

I have similar hair to yours and I can get the curl wave closer to my head by drying with a diffuser and putting the hair close to my head in it, so not just drying it on the ends but half way up. I also use the Boots curl creme. I don't think I've explained that very well!

also I once had my hair dried at a salon that specialises in curly hair and they used clips to create more of a wave which worked well.

Mine is similar, I have it shorter (shoulder length) with layers cut by a stylist with curly hair who gets it. Wash and condition, microfibre towelling on tight for a few minutes to get rid of excess moisture, then a small amount (squeeze out less than an inch) of the Umberto Gianni gel rubbed over hands and slicked lightly through the hair, then do not touch till it's bone dry. Then loosen slightly with fingers, with this small amount of gel it doesn't get too crunchy. Mine doesn't curl right up to the crown and wouldn't suit me if it did I don't think but it does curl to above my ears and properly ringlets from ears down. It never looks as good the second day unfortunately and the drying takes several hours, my colleagues are used to seeing me with wet hair in the mornings.

Curl creme is too heavy for my hair and makes it look dull and lanky

Thank you all-I’ve just been out and bought a wide toothed comb and some curl jelly. I’ll also try a diffuser as won’t be getting my hair cut for a couple of weeks yet. I’ll post the results when I wash my hair tomorrow

Only Curls are the best curly hair products I have found, their website also has lots of tips for how to manage different types of curls and what products are best for different curl types 😊

Thank you @LRob2506. I’m quite put off by their prices to be honest. Spending £80 on it seems like so much and there are so many processes! It makes it seem like it’ll take two hours to do your hair each morning?

May I ask which specific products you use and how long it takes you to do your hair? Do you follow the entire process?

My hair is similar to yours if I let it dry naturally. I had a 'curly' cut once and she dried it with a diffuser (with more products that I can't recall now) and it was much curlier and the curls started much higher. Although it looks nice I personally can't be bothered with that every day and I like the gentle waves too.

Pineapple = when you go bed and put your hair up in a soft scrunchie ( not an elasticated one ) or wear a satin hat, or a satin pillowcase. Helps the curls.

@GenerateNewUsernameI use the Curl Cleanser, Curl Conditioner and then scrunch in a tiny bit of the Enhancing Curl Gel whilst hair is still damp. It's very quick, I also don't like to spend a long doing my hair in a morning. The products are expensive but I find if I use them, I don't have to wash my hair as often and the curls stay nicer between washes. They also do a starter bundle for £35 which is a smaller set of the products so you can try them to see how they suit your hair before you invest in the full size products.

To save on money OP. Make sure you use light products, heavy conditioners might not do your fine hair any favours. I use the Umberto Gianni hair jelly and the cantu curl creme. I’m currently using Superdrug’s avocado conditioner and an occasional cantu shampoo. The only curls stuff is good but it’s hard to spend that much when you’re figuring things out. My hair is fine but not very porous. Takes a lot of water to get it properly wet. Not too much product but don’t be afraid to get your head upside down and work the product in whilst your hair is hanging. When you use the diffuser pick up the hair in the diffuser and hold it close to your head, again drying upside down helps with volume and the curls. But getting a good cut and losing the weight helps. Mine is currently at jaw level when dry and it’s curlier than it’s ever been.

Thanks all for the great advice. So I used the scrunchy jelly and a diffuser very gently. But i just couldn’t get the ‘crunch’ out and the curls became very very fine and tangled with a wet look.

so I think I’m going to get a good cut in and go back to the curl cream but perhaps use less. Unless someone can educate me on how to use the pink curl jelly without your hair going crunchy 😵‍💫

You need to scrunch the crunch. Use a small amount of smoothing product on your hands and then squish the curls when they are dry.

Thanks @DrJumpwhich smoothing product do you use? This is after I’ve tried scrunching the crunch but my hair just seemed to separate and stay quite crunchy

I used to struggle with scrunching the crunch. If your hair is fine and more wavy than curly you probably need very, very little gel. and possibly watered down to help it to spread evenly. I use less now, and it doesn't go crunchy at all (unless i haven't distributed it properly and end up with one over saturated patch) Its less curly like that, but I prefer mine to look more natural and less structured. Also make sure it is 200% dry before trying to scrunch. I don't use a smoothing product. Too much product overloads my non porous hair.

Last thing, if you have been using heat for years it may be damaged. It might be that using silicone and sulphate free shampoos for a few months, staying away from the heat styling will be the best way to get better curls all the way up.