Naturally curly ladies

My hair is naturally curly I was never happy about it also being the only redhead in the family. I was in my twenties and I went to stay with my sisters in the Channel Islands. They talked me into getting my hair straightened this was the mid 1970s. I was sat in the hairdressers for nearly three hours. My hair looked hideous straight it somehow made me look very plain. I didn’t like it at all I was delighted after a couple of hours my curls gradually returned. I was a hairdressing apprentice when in my late teens I was taught how to scrunch dry curly hair. Hairdressers don’t know the technique now all they want to do it straighten hair. I don’t bother with hairdressers anymore I just do my own hair.

I have curly hair. I hated it in the 60s when everybody else seemed to have long straight hair - I used to put sellotape on my fringe ! I am happy with it now and keep it short ( nearly pixie as I am also tiny !) and use the gentle setting on the dryer while finger drying it. Agree with other posters that a good cut is essential. I have tried products for curly hair that were supposed to make it shine and separate but not had much success. Not heard of Curly Girl.

lemongrove I have a diffuser attachment but it really doesn’t make much difference from finger and air drying in fact it stays in longer without the diffuser. I always use a wide tooth comb never a brush.

What’s a betting we get lots of ‘curly products’ adverts now ?

If I wanted it to be curly then I would put a little nourishing mousse on, then use the gentle setting on the hairdryer with head downwards, then use a wide toothed comb to gently comb out and a little Elnett hair spray.I have done this when I wanted to wear it up.

I don’t though Fanny...it looks so much better sleek and shiny.?

I have curly hair. The cut is the most important thing. Try finding a hairdresser that specialises in doing curly hair. My current hairdresser has a Greek wife who has long very curly hair. The previous one used to cut it then blow dry to see how it fell and then styled it, she had very curly hair herself. When I wash mine I finger dry and use argan oil and a small amount of wax combined and use it again during the week . No brushing just scrunch it up with my hands. I wash it 2- 3 times a week after I've been to the gym. Sometimes I put oil in before the gym as it can be very dry.

My younger daughter swears by Philip Kingsley Elasiciser for her naturally very curly, longish hair and transforms it into a thing of beauty.

Obviously not used it personally but my daughter's hair does look unfrizzy and beautifully shiny.

We have had many many 'discussions' over the years about washing hair and then.... leaving it. My daughter is happy to wash and go, literally, with sopping wet hair, so perhaps this is a factor in a beautiful end result and she has been right after all!

Good for you lemon, I wouldn’t expect anything less than sleek and shiny
But you can’t heat style curly hair if you want it in its natural, feral form

I love the pic of your naturally curly hair, i would love to have hair like that. Mine is wavy but not curly. I just blow dry and tie it up anyway but if i had the ccurls you have i would celibrate them.!!!

I use a clarifying shampoo once a fortnight and yes I do use some of the curly girl advice such as washing with my head down and drying by wrapping in a towel not rubbing and then drying naturally and finger separating but it’s all the products that confuse me they seem to pile it on using 2/3 different ones together.
I’ll be interested in you’re method FCf

Fanny, I have been using the dryer and styler for donkeys years, my hair is sleek and shiny, no problems at all.
I use any old shampoo and conditioner, whatever is on sale at the time.

Mine’s curly,too. Now I don’t mind it because it is thick but I detested it when I was younger and used to straighten it on those big heated rollers.

Any heat styling is the worst thing that you can do to your hair. I haven’t used a dryer for over a year, I let it air dry. I did try drying with a diffuser, but it took ages and hurt my arm. It also made the frizz worse.

Tanith you have beautiful hair. Looks lovely both ways.

I have curly hair that also goes frizzy. I like the Coco Loco products.
They have a sale on at the moment. They smell lovely and work well for curly hair and for straightening hair.

Lovely hair and colour
Have you checked out
The Curly Girl Method uk ?
Sorry can't do links.

I also have curly hair which is a pain always buying different stuff for it but I must say yours looks lovely either way

I don't have curly hair, sorry, I wish I did ?

However, if your hair doesn't react to oils, masks one thing that might be worth considering is whether you use shampoos/conditioners containing silicones or keratins (almost all high street shampoos contain silicone). If that's the case it's possible your hair is overloaded with silicone, which will stop the masks having any effect. You could try a clarifying shampoo to remove the silicone, followed by a mask.

Thankyou both I too love the sleek look but it doesn’t stay that way and takes a while to straighten hence my decision to stop and of course you can’t see the wrinkly jowly face that goes with it. ??

Hello tanith
Thank you so much for starting this thread. I’m a new curly girl too.
I’ve mentioned this a few times on here. For about the past 10-15 years my hair was getting thinner and thinner. Basically, I was just falling out and not regrowing. I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on every pill, potion and snake oil on the market. It must be well over a thousand pounds. The Summer of 2019 I was on the cusp of having a hair system.
Anyway, a blood test in Jan 2020 showed I had extremely low vitamin D. I had a prescription for a louding dose and now take vitamin D every day.
My hair is now as good as when I was in my teens; it is however wavy / curly (I can’t remember what type 3A, maybe?)
Like you, I looked into all the Curly Girl stuff, and I agree, it is bewildering.
I’m aware that this post is getting very long, and I need to do something productive around the house! I’ll come back later and tell you my ‘routine’.
I really look forward to hearing what other curlies use and do with their hair

Tanith, that could be my hair ? I always straighten, looks so much better.Like you, I have allowed it to get longer during the last 18 months.I don’t use actual hair straighteners, but use a Babyliss hair dryer to dry it ( head downwards) then Babyliss Pro hot air styler ( 50 not 30 barrel) it straightens, styles and adds shine. I then use it each morning for a few mins, and that’s it, so easy to deal with ( as long as I can avoid damp weather!)

Tanith
Green with envy at your lovely sleek look ?

OMG Tanith I LOVE your hair. Straight and curly. That’s it. Sorry. No advice just had to tell you

I've just had my waist-length hair cut quite short, but not pixie.
There was hair all over the house, coming out in chunks, matting due to the frizziness and dry condition.
This was Thursday and I can't believe the difference.
I tried everything, even curly girl method and nothing worked. I could use every mask, treatment, or conditioner and first day fine after this forget it.
A good hair cut is essential without that thinning out thing they do, rather than cut the curls with scissors.

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The straight hair is from 6mths ago