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Curly Hair

gromit

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For ladies with curls...

My hair is kind of wavy/curly, but it has been feeling so dry lately. I use an intense conditioner for heavily damaged (permed/dyed) hair, but it still seems to get so dried out. I've never colored or permed or straightened it or anything. I wash only once, condition for a couple minutes, apply either some mousse or style cream and then sometimes blow dry.

Anyone else with curly hair have any advice on either conditioners or styling products or treatments for curly hair that's getting a little dried out?
 

Tallulah

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Do you know about the Curly Girl method? Sulfate shampoos and silicone based products kept my hair in a constant state of dryness, so I switched to conditioner washing. My hair does best with Wen, though it's expensive. Lots of curlies do deep treatments weekly, and also use a leave-in conditioner. Curly hair tends toward the dry side.

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
 

Sparrow

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I like using Redken Ringlet 07 in my hair :). I've also heard that rinsing curly hair in cold water helps to reduce frizz so I have been doing that lately (when I wear my hair curly).
 

gromit

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Oh thanks for the recommendations guys!

Tallulah, I've heard about that curly girl method, but I'm still a little disbelieving. Did you hair get gross at first before it got better?
 

disregard

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I don't experience dry hair, and I have extreeeeeemely curly hair. It might be your climate or genes. Perhaps how thin your hair is.

I wash my hair every morning with Head & Shoulders shampoo plus conditioner in one (I don't believe in expensive hair products, it's all a myth.), brush it, and let it dry. No separate conditioner or leave in conditioner. Perhaps your blow dryer is doing the damage?
 

Tigerlily

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Do you know about the Curly Girl method? Sulfate shampoos and silicone based products kept my hair in a constant state of dryness, so I switched to conditioner washing. My hair does best with Wen, though it's expensive. Lots of curlies do deep treatments weekly, and also use a leave-in conditioner. Curly hair tends toward the dry side.

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair
I switch between Wen and Sally Beauty Supply's cheaper version, Hair One. About once a week I'll wash with sulfate free shampoo just to switch it up.
 

Qlip

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*taking notes*

My daughter and my sister battle their thick curly hair on a daily basis, good info to pass along. I have it too, but it's not long at the moment.
 

Tallulah

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Oh thanks for the recommendations guys!

Tallulah, I've heard about that curly girl method, but I'm still a little disbelieving. Did you hair get gross at first before it got better?

Some ladies experience a period where it gets worse before it gets better. Mine responded right away, especially to the Wen. I've tried a whole bunch of different things, and my hair just responds to it. Though lots of women get away with co-washing with 99 cent Suave Naturals. Some people's hair is kind of bulletproof. They can do almost anything and it will look great. Other people have to really experiment to find the right routine, the right balance of protein and moisture, etc. Sometimes I think my hair needs more moisture, but it really needs more protein. So I do a protein treatment and it behaves again. Before going CG, I could never have worn my hair curly without pinning the canopy back. It was way too frizzy and dry.

I switch between Wen and Sally Beauty Supply's cheaper version, Hair One. About once a week I'll wash with sulfate free shampoo just to switch it up.

I was too broke for Wen for a long time (still am, really) and used Hair One for months...but my hair just doesn't like it as well, especially over extended periods of time. I wish it did! Now that I'm back on Wen, my hair is shiny again, and when I blow dry it straight, it doesn't even frizz. What sulfate free shampoo do you like?
 

ayoitsStepho

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And this is why I hate winter, my hair is dry, frizzy, and I even get dandruff at this time. Every winter it happens and I've yet to figure out how to stop it. Any advice? :blush:
 

neptunesnet

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AYO, do you use any leave-in? Might help your winter dryness.

Do you know about the Curly Girl method? Sulfate shampoos and silicone based products kept my hair in a constant state of dryness, so I switched to conditioner washing. My hair does best with Wen, though it's expensive. Lots of curlies do deep treatments weekly, and also use a leave-in conditioner. Curly hair tends toward the dry side.

http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

:yes: Same here.

I live by my leave-in, and I've completely switched over to sulfate-free shampoos and conditioner. As a result, my curl pattern is much more defined, and my hair hardly feels dry.

Gromit, have you tried not washing your hair for a day or two or a few? That might help your dryness. Or maybe just conditioner washing every other day instead of every day shampooing?
 
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ayoitsStepho

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I do not actually. Are there any particular brands that work pretty well?
 

neptunesnet

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I like Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-In. It's super light, and it makes my hair feel really soft.

Leave-In.gif


But, you know, it's all a matter of what your hair likes. It takes a good amount of experimentation to find out what works best for you.
 

kyuuei

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My experiments with the curly-girl method included using hair one.. My hair didnt really like it. It responded to the treatment initially, but my hair is So heavy, and it's So long.. that doing things the way the curly girl method dictates proved to be time consuming. I'd sit in the shower for SO long.. when you're the last person in the shower and have a tiny water heater tank, it sorta sucks to take showers longer than 20 minutes. I found that my hair just requires shampoo of some sort, otherwise the build up is too fast and icky from conditioner-only.

However, I have found a sulfate-free shampoo I like finally. So I've been thinking about starting up Curly girl 2.. :laugh:
Shampoo and deep condition once a week
Don't wash for 3-4 days
Condition wash
don't wash for 2-3 days
Repeat

Things stopping me: I haven't found a deep conditioner I want yet, and I haven't found a leave-in I want yet.
 

Fidelia

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What's a protein treatment? I've only tried moisture treatments. My hair and scalp are really dry during the winter despite only washing it every 2-3 days.
 

Tallulah

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I use Joico K-Pak (or the Sally's knockoff), which I think has silk proteins in it. It's like a protein conditioner thing that you leave on for 2-3 minutes. You can also buy more intense protein treatments at beauty supply stores. You have to figure out what kind of protein your hair likes, though, or if it even needs protein. Mine is fine and porous, so it likes protein. My personal hair hates hydrolized wheat protein, though...it turns to straw if I use a product with that ingredient.

If your scalp gets flaky in the winter, you can try doing a raw honey mask. It works wonders for me. You get local, raw honey, mix it about 90% honey + 10% water, and apply to the scalp and let it stay there for 3 hours. (You'll want to make sure your hair's wet/damp first, though, or it'll be messy. Then do your regular co-wash.
 

gromit

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I tried the conditioner wash today, like Curly Girl method suggests. My hair definitely feels different. I will try it a couple more times and see what happens. I am so skeptical that so much gross stuff won't build up, but I'm willing to experiment. :D

This is cheaper than some of the other options at least.

Thanks everyone.
 

Lady_X

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my hair was so dry i cut it all off and now i'm a sad sad girl...i really wish i would've just done some conditioning treatments or something...wahhh...

anyway...don't blow dry it...very important..never blow dry curly hair or brush it when it's dry. just put a leave in conditioner in it...maybe a serum or a bit of almond oil mixed with a creamy textured paste to hold the curl.
 

gromit

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Ha ha Lady X... :( I'm sorry about your hair honestly, but you make me laugh a little. I never brush it when it's dry, but sometimes I neeeed to blow dry before I go out in the cold. :puppy_dog_eyes:
 

Tallulah

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I tried the conditioner wash today, like Curly Girl method suggests. My hair definitely feels different. I will try it a couple more times and see what happens. I am so skeptical that so much gross stuff won't build up, but I'm willing to experiment. :D

This is cheaper than some of the other options at least.

Thanks everyone.

Gotta make sure you don't put anything in your hair that woudn't wash out with the co-wash, too. Silicones require sulfates to get them out of the hair.

Good luck! Give it some time, though...there may be a transition period, and you may have to experiment with brands your hair likes.
 
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