The first picture is with a fully finger coiled routine that I dont do often. The others are my regular routines. 3rd picture is day 6 hair so it's pretty frizzy. The last two are after I styled my hair today without doing bangs, and it's also right after diffusing.

I cut myself bangs about 2 ish years ago (didn't know how to properly style my hair before then, so all of my 'learning to do my curly hair' journey happened with bangs). My friends and family made it clear that they dislike my bangs, and that I look weird as a black girl with bangs (I still dont understand WHY they think race is important? Lol whatever I guess)

I decided today to style my hair without bangs to see if I like it. I cant tell if it's horrible, or if I'm just not used to having my hair this way. I dont exactly hate how my hair turned out today, but I LOVE my bangs, and I'm now looking through pictured of them like they're my dead wife or something. But what if everyone else is right my bangs look weird or out of place?

Routine:

Wash and condition with Aussie (the avacado moisturizing line). Add leave-in conditioner (orange scala). Split hair in half, add gel (got 2 be glued) in sections and brush style (I just use my detangling brush). At the top of my head I do a horizontal part and brush my hair back so that only the front has a middle part. The rest I brush to the respectful side. For my bangs I part out a tiny section at the front, use a small amount of gel and finger coil them. I diffuse on high heat and high speed, dry the length and ends if my hair first, then focus on my roots when my hair is about 70% dry. After diffusing I remove the diffuse attachment, stretch my hair down with one hand and blowdry downwards (this helps lengthen the hair. My unstretched hair is brushing my shoulders). During the week I'll add a small amount of gel to any curls that start frizzing.

Sleep:

Put my hair in a ponytail using a loose scrunchie. Add satin scrunchies down the length if my hair to keep the length and minimize frizzing and volume (because I dont like voluminous hair). I leave my bangs out. I then put my hair in one of those long bonnets.

Do my bangs really look that horrible?


I had a hair cut two days ago. I changed nothing from my routine, the only difference was the cut!  The first picture was taken on a really good curl day, pre-cut. The second is after the cut. No length taken off during the cut, just layers and texturing the ends of the upper layers.

The texturing prevented the "shelf" look that I'm always so afraid of when I ask for layers. My hairdresser was awesome, she showed me part way thru that a shelf was appearing, and told me she was going to blend it out by texturing the ends of the shorter pieces. She talked thru everything she was doing and genuinely seemed to love cutting curly hair. It was a really good experience.

I'm 40 and I've never gotten the top layer to curl before. I was resigned to thinking my top layer was actually straight. My hair is baby-fine, so I think conditions have to be perfect for it to curl. So happy, never thought I'd see the day!

.......

Routine: shampoo with Aussie Wavy.  Scrub scalp only, and let the shampoo hit my ends only when I rinse it. Then I free the top layer of curls by lifting individual strands away from my head with my fingers then setting them down.

Condition with Aussie Wavy conditioner. I spread it on my fingers then rake them thru lower half of the strands (basically anything below where it could touch my scalp). Gently rinse out while rakiing fingers through it to keep the layers sitting where I arranged them during the shampoo step. I dont re-wet my whole head when rinsing out the conditioner, only the lower half where I applied it. Then I loosen up the hair a bit by raking and shaking my fingers simultaneously.

Dry: plop on a hand towel that I secure shut at the back of my head with a scrunchie. I don't twist the towel at all or the curls stretch out flat. After 5 minutes remove the towel, arrange the curls by raking/ shaking my fingers again.

Style: rake small amount of Tresemme Flawless Curls mousse immediately after towel drying. Rearrange the top layer once more and finger curl any spots that aren't clumping.

Airdry without touching. It only takes maybe 45 minutes to dry, even whem in clumps. Gently shake it out once it is dry.

Before & After hair cut


photo is of towel turban/air dried unbrushed hair.
i spent my whole life blow drying it straight and didn’t realise i even had these waves until early this year. my hair is pretty thin and mostly virgin, though the ends have some remnant grown out bleach.
there’s so much frizz! also one side seems to be much wavier than the other… and my front pieces are almost ringlets. there’s just a lot going on and i need some advice.
does it need deeper conditioning?? less conditioner? a leave in treatment? what should i do after showering to avoid frizz

routine:
method volumising shampoo & conditioner (daily);
i wrap it in a towel turban for 30 mins then air dry, and avoid brushing it.
i wear a silk scrunchie bun to sleep

how to care for newly discovered wavy hair


I am in the process of trying to grow out my hair after having it cropped a few years back. It’s currently at my shoulders when dried. I really love to wear it down, but I always end up with severe knotting , close to matting, by the end of the day or next morning. It’s bad enough that occasionally I have to cut out the knots. I wear my hair braided a lot now to protect it, but I really want to wear it down. How can I fix this?

I try not to touch my hair much, so I’m not sure if it’s just.. doing that, or it’s a consequence of rubbing against my tote bag straps / jackets / etc.

Routine (3a/b curls)
\- wash once weekly with genetic shampoo, occasionally a Kirsten Ess clarifying shampoo
\-condition with Lush candy rain
\- I wet daily to re-style (curls don’t last overnight) , and use Miele leave in every other day, occasionally use Shea moisture mousse
\- either air dry or diffuse
\-I apply rosemary oil to my hands to break the mousse cast
\-scrunchie or french braids and a bonnet for sleeping

Matting and knots


My routine!!

• Wash: Shampoo 2-3x a week with OGX Coconut Curls Shampoo + OGX Coconut Curls Conditioner, detangle in the shower.

•  Style: On wet hair, scrunch in Pattern Leave-In Conditioner mixed with Rizos Curls Curl Defining Cream, then air dry.

•  Refresh: Mist with water + a bit of Pattern Leave-In, scrunch, and add a drop of argan oil on the ends.

•  Night: Pineapple with a satin scrunchie + silk pillowcase.

Keeps my long waves soft and frizz-free! 🌸

Curls after ocean dip! 🌊


Hi! I have changed a lot in my routine lately and I've noticed my hair has been drying waaaay faster than it used to when I'm out of the shower. The roots stay wet but the strands do not

I use (in this order)
Ouidad shampoo (moisturizing shampoo)
Go in 2nd with Fenty Beauty (The rich one moisturize repair shampoo)
Ouidad Balancing Rinse Conditioner
One or twice a week I use Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Leave-in
And then I go in with Miss Jessies Soft Jelly Curls and Not your mothers mousse.

I don't have the money to go to professional places to get my hair evaluated and all that stuff so I'm struggling to find whats best for me. This is typically what my hair looks like when I'm done. I heighten my roots by putting in hair clips lol

Idk whats up


as the title states, maintaining curly hair is so endlessly frustrating, exhausting, tedious, and unpredictable . it makes me SO mad that i want to cry .

i have 3B hair & i've seen it when it looks its absolute BEST, it's fullest, most voluminous, tightest, springiest, and softest . i want it to look like that ALL the time without it getting ruined, without having to coat my whole entire head in those ultra-firm hold hairsprays that instantly destroys its softness and replaces it with that sticky, crunchy, knotted feeling . FIGHTING FLAT ROOTS CONSTANTLY !

i want my curls to be ***UNIFORM !!!*** i want them to ***LAAAASSSTTTTTTTTTTT !!!*** i want to NOT worry about every little thing that comes in contact with my hair instantly ruining it, to not spend one to two hours every two days painstakingly separating my hair into several layers to apply different products & diffusing, scouring for any limp curls to correct them, all the detangling, and worst of all: doing everything perfectly and STILL have my hair come out looking like shit . i'm always left wondering why i can *never, ever, ever* achieve that perfect balance i was looking for; why i even try .

i just need to know for good: will i just NEVER have the perfect hair i want when i want it ?

am i too poor to afford the "best" products that in turn make my routine simpler, and help me feel beautiful ?

will the ONLY way to EVER having nice hair is by dedicating at least 15% of my life to styling it and then spend the rest of it making sure it stays intact—like i'm constantly looking after a child ?

**NOW FOR MY HAIRCUT & ROUTINE:**

my hair is layered with fullness stemming at the crown, face-framing layers, and all the other layers tapering down the bottom—aka "wolfcut"—my hair is quite long & i know having long hair only makes having tight curls more difficult, but if i have to sacrifice this just so my hair can finally look good, then i'll get the big chop .

**SHOWER CARE:**

\- currently shampooing scalp with OGX coconut milk shampoo, rinse

\- currently conditioning my lengths & ends with OGX coconut milk conditioner, i fully detangle my hair with my fingers, i let the conditioner sit for the rest of the shower, then i rinse it out

\- with my hands, i scrunch out all of the water from my hair once the shower is done

**OUTSIDE THE SHOWER:**

\- roughly section my hair to the best of my abilities

\- currently using "mousse def" by the doux to rake through each section, scrunch & hold, then look for the straight pieces of hair & try to fix them .

\- after all sections are done, i diffuse on low heat: first hovering the diffuser around my scalp and the lengths of my hair, then i diffuse every part of my hair the way all the other curly girls do .

**OTHER CARE PROCEDURES:**

\- i wear a satin bonnet to sleep every night, i don't wear hats, i don't dye / bleach my hair, i don't go swimming, i don't work or live in high temperature environments or in heavily polluted areas

\- my local weather is mild year round, we have all four seasons, with the expected levels of humidity and rain

**OTHER VERY IMPORTANT NOTES:**

\- the reason why my routine is so simple and why i feel so hopeless is because i'm quite easily fatigued due to me having chronic illnesses, i can't really have my arms held up in the air for long periods of time without getting terribly exhausted and wanting to give up

\- i've used aussie curly hair shampoo & conditioner ... they do nothing for me & i think they've made my hair look worse tbh

\- i USED to use the kerastase curl manifesto shampoo, conditioner, and hairspray but it's soooo damn expensive i just can't afford it anymore, unfortunately .

\- i think mousse def is pretty good at keeping the shape i want but the texture it creates is awful as a result of it being a mousse, but it's the most versatile product & i really yearn for a haircare routine that's as simple and efficient as possible so that i don't have to "dread" this process every time

\- i cut my own layers whenever i can, i can't afford a really good hairdresser & going to those Great Clips salons is basically gambling with my looks

**NOW MY FINAL NOTE :)**

**if u read all of this, i just wanted to say thank you, sorry if there was too much rambling or moping ... i hope that i didn't come off as too "self-defeating" or "purposefully difficult" because i know my desired routine is most likely impossible without so much more diligence ... i'm a very tired person with limited energy and the money's been very, very tight and unfortunately, there aren't going to be any "well-paying" jobs in my near future .**

**i don't expect this post to gain very many responses (if at all—these kinds of posts i make have always flown totally under the radar, so i'll most likely delete this after a couple days, but if not, then thank you sm for taking the time to help me & respond !!! i would really appreciate it !!! even if you're also just here to lament about how obnoxiously difficult it is to keep curly hair looking good, it's nice to know i'm not alone lol .)**

**if u have any advice or questions, lemme know ... i just want to have beautiful looking hair so that i can finally go outside confidently and not have to hide this mess all the time . & if u wanna call me a dummy, then please do that too lmfao cuz i know there are so many different types of products i haven't been able to try yet & i know my routine is generally flawed compared to the many others i've seen online .**

is there any way to have GOOD, consistent results without my routine taking up SO MUCH time & money ??


I have 2c-3a hair (????) and used to use the blue Skala for 2-3 years and my hair loved it. My hair was soft and defined with a ton of volume. It never felt sticky or brittle. I paired it with shea moisture gel and mousse (pics included). Once I learned about the harmful ingredients Skala AND shea moisture used, I decided when my tub of Skala was finished I’d switch to using healthier products. I got the Not Your Mothers curl cream, mousse, and gel. My hair hates it. I don’t even have any pictures of my hair with these products in because I think it looks so ugly. It makes my hair look stringy and greasy and also makes it sticky. From what I’ve learned, this means that the product is too heavy for my texture. I also think I have low porosity hair. Growing up my mom didn’t know anything about curly hair but she did her best, so the only knowledge I have about curly hair and products (besides the kids stuff and some random stuff I got throughout the years) has all been learned through TikTok and Reddit the past few years. I’m also posting this in r/curly hair. Also you’ll probably have to click on the pics to see them fully- sorry I didn’t wanna post my face here.

Oh also my wash routine: double shampoo- once with redken clarifying shampoo and once with a prescribed shampoo,

conditioner (leave it for 10 mins),

put in curl cream, gel, and mousse and style it with the Bounce Curl volume brush.

Then I diffuse upside down til it’s almost completely dry except for the roots, then use some oil to scrunch and shake it out once it’s 100% dry.

For bed I put my hair up in a sort of pineapple using 3 small clips (one used for the back, and one used for each respective side), and put it in a bonnet (this method seems to work really good for me but if you have something you think would work better let me know!!).

Product recommendations


My hair dries with all the volume up top, even if I only diffuse the ends and not the scalp.

I have to have my hair combed back whilst it dries too otherwise it wants to be all over my face and eyes. Thats just how it falls genetically I think? I've tried middle part with clips etc but to no avail.

Routine is Kantu Clarifying Shampoo, then detangle with Garnier Banana Hair Food, then comb/rake LA Looks blue gel through soaking wet hair, then scrunch it in. Then just remove excess water with microfiber towel and diffuse with heat.

I also would like a CG friendly mousse I can get in the U.K? I still have frizz despite lathering it in the 'best' gel lol

But yeah, 3 years in (with a couple of CG layer cuts) and im close to just getting rid. Need help please!

Close to shaving it all off. Need help.


helloooo :)

this is my first time posting here! i'm gonna delete this after a while cause you never know what kind of people are on the internet.
so my main dilemma is this:

i have very fine but very dense curly hair. like there's a lot of it, but when i compare my strands to my friends, mine is basically invisible :( and i've kind of resigned myself to that to a degree, because that's just life, and i'm lucky to have dense hair to make up for it, but still.

if i had to pin my hair type down (though i'm not really sure how good the curl type system really is, don't come for me), i'd say at the ends of my hair i get a lot of 3a, sometimes 3b curls, while a lot of it (especially hair up) is anywhere from 2a to 2c. sometimes the top of my head will just be nearly straight; i struggle to get definition there.
while i do like definition, i really want big voluminous hair and would sacrifice some definition for that. that being said, i know it might not be possible because my hair is fine. my hair is still pretty long right now, even though i went to the hairdresser in early feb intending to get it shorter (armpit length maybe) because she kinda talked me out of it (logically, not in a bad way).

i think maybe if i cut my hair it'll bounce up a bit? but i don't know...

diffusing and plopping both rarely work well for me also.

i dont want to be doing a super super long 3 hour routine every week, but i'm also content to maybe put in 1-1.5 hours of time every 5 days or so. i wash my hair every 4 or 5 days (dove shampoo of some kind and a purple bottle herbal essences conditioner), and when i have lots of product in my hair i double shampoo. also just got a fino hair mask which i hear is good but don't know if it's good for fine hair.

**so i guess what i want to know is:**
1. is it possible for me to achieve something like my inspo pics or am i overambitious?
2. am i using bad products for fine hair/are there better ones?
3. what are other good tips for fine curly hair?
4. is there a magical way to thicken my hair strands 😔😔😔
5. anything else you note :)

**PHOTO GUIDE**:
photos 1-2 are my hair dry brushed out, front and side view.
photo 3 is the top of my scalp when dry, and 4 is the bits where hair doesn't grow.
photo 5 is a semi-dry finger curled piece to give you an idea of my curl pattern; they do get a bit tighter than that though. photo 6 is my hair when wet and scrunched (no product, i *think*?).
photos 7-9 are my inspo pics. i think they're generally pretty realistic? especially 7, because she specifically says she has fine curls.

i change it up, but here's my best routine so far (haven't figured a perfect one out yet:

start with dry clean hair, section into 3: top, middle (roughly eyebrow level and up) and bottom. take down bottom section, halve it, spray one half with water until soaking wet.

spray a few pumps of hask curl care 5-in-1 spray into the palm, emulsify between hands and work into hair with prayer hands and gentle scrunching. detangle with wooden-backed brush (don't know the brand), then gently scrunch and separate curl clumps.
repeat this process with the other half and clip back the whole section.
take down the middle section, repeat the process, taking special care to wet and lift the roots. clip back middle section.

then take down and wet the top section, detangle and brush it forward and work in some more spray. soak hair again and go through section, finger curling in all directions for definition.
take out other sections, apply a tiny bit of moogoo natural protein shot leave-in to the ends, and gently scrunch the whole head. lastly i diffuse with VS sassoon frizz defense diffuser, spending short time hovering with warm air on roots with clips, then flipping head around and cupping.

sorry, this is so long 😔 cheers guys :)

help needed! struggling with fine curly hair :(


I really want to be able to get into a routine with my hair that allows it to look the best it can! I am new to this but, using the techniques in this sub, have been able to have a few good hair days (picture 1) right on a hair wash day, unfortunately this is not consistently. I also struggle with getting good curls the second or third day and feel like I am not doing enough. Picture 2 is with spritzing my hair on the second hair and picture 3 is no spritzing on the second/third day (what it looks like most of the time :( ).

Current routine:

\- hair wash about 3x a week (aveda shampure shampoo, deva curl one conditioner). I use a scalp exfoliating brush and I brush my hair with the conditioner in it. I usually wash my hair in the evening which means the best hair days are at night when no one sees it :(

\- blot my hair dry with cotton t shirt

\- aveda be curly curl enhancer and run my fingers through it

\- occasionally diffuse

\- following days I usually just pin my hair up bc it doesn’t look good or I spritz it with water and sometimes a small amount of leave in conditioner to bring the curls back

Notes:

\- my scalp is very dry and my hair is very soft (doesnt feel dry on its own)

\- I sleep VERY aggressively and have tried many methods (bonnet, pineapple, clips) and nothing seems to keep the curls happy in the morning

\- I have tried heavier gels (the deva curl hold gel) and I just don’t love the feeling of my hair with it

Questions I have:

\- what else can I be doing on day 2/3 after hair washing besides spritzing my hair to look good? I really struggle with this because of the aggressive sleeping problem

\- What types of conditioner and shampoo products should I look for and should I update my washing routine?

Apologies if this is naive!!!! Thank you for all your help!!!

Struggling with curls on non- hair wash days


Hello, looking for recommendations for the above!

Currently use those two prongs little metal ones, but I don’t love them.

Routine is NYM shampoo, Miele conditioner, Ouidad Gel, mousse and then diffuser dry

Best root volume drying clips/ method? For 2 C/ 3 A hair


First time so still a work in progress but already I can see why the clips help with keeping the top from going flat and straight

Next step is getting a diffuser and getting better with using products. Thanks everyone who gave feedback last time!

I will try to do some of the other recommendations soon (a hair trim is one I hope to do in a week or two) but side part instead of middle part and clips were an easy one to try.

Routine this time was just Redkin curly moisturizer, just scrunched in to my hair as it was a light shower day, and then air dry with clips placed as best I could near the start of different sections, but definitely can do better.

Update tries air drying with clips!!


Hey all! (Im so sorry if this is the wrong subreddit for this please direct me somewhere better if there is)
Im here asking for help or recommendations for my best friends hair for her wedding.

Here's a bit of important info:
We are flying to Puerto Rico for her wedding, we are not staying at any resort with a spa, we will be in a Air BNB. I am a licensed cosmetologist and will be doing her hair for the wedding. Now the issue, she really wanted to be able to have big beachy volumous hair as her wedding will be on the beach. How ever her hair is the finest most temperamental hair I have dealt with in the 11 years I've been doing hair. She's planning on wearing it down but maybe adding a couple of flower clips in her hair for some extra flair.

What I need is recommendations on products that would be good for extremely fine hair, won't weigh her hair down, and can help define and exaggerate her bit of natural wave she already has and also maybe routines or a link to a routine video. We have a little time to figure out products and a routine but not much time.

The other issue is we aren't sure exactly what the humidity in Puerto Rico will do to her hair either.

So I come to you curly hair reddit in hopes that you all can give me some help as in my area I live I dont get a lot of clients with wavy or curly hair so I only know very basics.

Wedding Hair Help!!


I had a 20% off everything coupon at Ulta plus some points saved up, so I bought the amika curl corps defining cream and their curl refresher spray. Haven’t tried the latter yet but have used the defining cream twice now and so far it’s about the best result I’ve had with any product for my particular hair (mostly 2c, a bit of 3a, and one small area of 2a-2b). Mostly gray hair, so pretty dry.

Like all of us here, some things work for our hair and some just don’t, no matter how great they may work for others’ hair. But I’m thinking if some of you have had great success with this amika defining cream like I have, maybe other products that have worked well for you might work well for me too. So, please share any experiences with other products that work as well or almost as well for your hair as the amika defining cream does… because I sure can’t afford the small-bottle-big-price ratio for the amika for every wash the rest of my life! 😂

—————

Routine:

Wash & condition with either innersense hydrating cream hairbath & conditioner OR nioxin 4 shampoo & conditioner.

Leave-in conditioner/detangler — unite 7 seconds, or eva nyc 10-in-1, or Saltair.

Style with amika curl defining cream, or innersense I Create Volume + I Create Curl Memory.

Wide tooth combing to distribute styling product(s) after applying with praying hands, then either finger-rake or use Bounce Curl brush, then scrunch with damp microfiber like the perfect haircare towel or a tshirt, then diffuse dry. Scrunch out the crunch with Saltair Moisture Bound Hair Oil.

Haven’t found any kind of sleep bonnet situation that will stay on my head without flattening my hair, so usually just pineapple my hair with clips and sleep on a silk pillowcase. Morning refresh when needed with a sprayer mix of distilled water + a bit of leave in conditioner + a wee bit of gel.

—————

Looking forward to any recommendations. Thank you! ❤

If you’ve had success with amika curl corps defining cream, what other products work well for your hair?


Photos 1, 2, 3, 4: From today. A decent hair day, where I styled my hair with kinky curly knot today leave in. aussie instant freeze gel, and diffused it. Not the BEST hair day I’ve had, but good. Also showing it in the bun that I like to wear.

Photo 5: The other day. Styled my hair, but you can see how dry and wispy it can look.

Photos 6, 7(😛): Hair without products or styling, air dried. VERY soft and fine and loose waves, but the next day without products, it is nearly straight, and very flat and limp, hence why I need to often style with gel.

Photo 8: Another day without products… you can see how thin my ends are. I hate how I can see my back THROUGH my hair!!!

Photo 9: An example styled of how curly my hair can get at this length when styled well, but also the thinness of the ends.

Photos 10, 11, 12: Hair when it was short with choppy layers. I loved the bounce, fullness and curl. I feel it looks healthiest here, ans maybe I could have done more style wise (updos with small claw clips, etc? at the time to scratch the itch I have to put it up lol)

Photo 13: Kind of in between. Grown out from the short hair of the previous photos, but still not even touching my shoulders. Love this length also.

Honestly, I’m just very tired of attempting to grow my hair out and I’m about to give up, book a hair appointment, and get it cut back to a short bob. I LOVED my short bob, anywhere between chin length to just above shoulders, my hair is curly, bouncy and full. I’ve been attempting to grow my hair out for a year or so at this point, with 2-3 small trims in 2025. But as its gotten to collar length, it just gets SO wispy. My hair doesn’t curl like it did, and even good hair days are mainly flocked with rough ones. My ends get thin and wispy no matter what, I hate that I can see through them. My hair grows very slow, and I’m starting to wonder if this is even worth it. Sure, I love the look of long wavy hair, but even if I get there, it won’t be thick and lucsious. I’m already getting frustrated with the increased need for product, upkeep, how dry it gets, and the main things tethering me to keep on trying is the idea that I just need to “push through” the wispiness at this length so the fuller hair can catch up, AND that I love that I can put it in a messy updo finally… but again, is it worth it if I end up crying at how thin it looks most days? My hair has looked visually very much similar over the last year despite growth, you can go back and check my post from a bunch of months ago.

I guess I’m just asking, does this even seem worth it for me? I was happier with short hair, but I also yearn for long hair, but frankly, I KNOW its a huge time commitment, energy commitment, etc etc that maybe I just don’t have. I dont even know what I’d do if it did get long - I don’t know how to braid, I know I won’t want to learn elaborate hairstyles or oil anyway. I just feel conflicted bc I keep getting pulled in by yayy messy bun!! Urghh i dont know what to do, I wish my hair wasn’t so fine and wispy and fragile!!😭

My CURRENT hair routine:

\- Wash and condition with herbal essence grapefruit shampoo and chamomile conditioner

\- Glaze and scrunch in kinky curly knot today leave in conditioner in shower

\- Out of shower, I lightly scrunch out excess water and glaze and scrunch in big quarter sized globs of aussie instant freeze gel

\- Scrunch hair and plop with microfiber headwrap

\- Remove wrap after I get dressed, add two more dime sized amounts of gel

\- Hover Diffuse on high heat high speed till cast forms, then low heat high speed diffuse by cupping my hair into sections

\- Scrunch out crunch and fluff. My routine has been very similar with random experimentations throughout the years, but it usually always comes back to this.

While sleeping, if I don’t plan on showering the next day, I will sleep with my hair in a loose ponytail with a satin scrunchie on top of my head, and then glaze some water over it the next morning for an alright refresh with less defined but still voluminous curls.

Trying to grow hair long, but thinking I’m ready to call it quits. Any insight?


Hello!

So a few months back my hair did a complete 180! I went from a very, very slight wave to tighter ones and even some ringlet formations. I’m pretty sure this was because I finally had a medical problem being addressed that was affecting my hair growth and overall health. But because of this, I’ve had to endure a steep learning curve on how to take care of my wavy/curly hair.

In the summer it wasn’t too bad — I live in Ireland, so the summer climate is kind of mild and didn’t affect my hair too much. But winter? Ugh, it’s so bad 😩 Yesterday, I spent ages styling my hair, but all the rain, humidity, and cold made it fall flat so quickly and left me with fuzzy frizz. I was so disappointed.

**My routine yesterday:**

* Shampoo: Ouai Detox & Redken All Soft
* Conditioner: Redken All Soft
* Leave-in & heat protectant: Redken 25-in-1 + heat protectant
* Before diffusing: Keune Spring Loaded
* When 60-70% dry: Umberto scrunching jelly
* Method: S2C and rise it out completely
* Sleeping: Pineapple hold

I diffused with a claw clips yesterday near my roots and it actually worked pretty well, and my hair looked gorgeous once dry! I was really happy with it.

I’m thinking maybe the products I’m using aren’t the best for this kind of weather, so if anyone has ideas, recommendations, or just general advice, I’d really appreciate it. I do live in Europe, so some products are harder to come by, convenience is a bonus.

**About my hair:**

* Low-medium density with medium-thick strands, so very heavy products weigh it down
* Flat roots and curls start closer to eye level but those around my face which are layered start closer to the root.
* Looking for some volume, but I don’t know where to start

I see so many beautiful people on here with flawless curls, and I’m so envious!!

Any tips, product recs, or advice would be amazing. Thank you in advance! 😊

Winter frizz and flat curls. Need product and styling advice (low-medium density, flat roots)


I have 3b/c hair that’s very fine and medium to low density. And it has absolutely no height whatsoever. It grows downwards instead of out, so I can’t really get any volume on top.

I want my hair to be more spherical With the ends lifting away from the head instead of going downward. Similar to Ilana Glazer’s hair. But no matter what I’ve tried it hasn’t worked. Not hair clips while drying, not curly cuts, and not any any products. What should I do?

And the picture isn’t the best representation of my hair. This was just one of the only pictures I had with my hair styled in any way. Usually, my hair is much more curly than this. It’s more like tight-ish spirals with some sharpie-width ringlets floating around.

My routine:

Miss Jessie’s leave-in condish followed by Curlsmith Miracle Shield heat protectant and Dippity Doo gel. Then I separate my hair into small sections and use a Denman brush before scrunching and diffusing. Then I sleep in a silk bonnet on top of a silk pillowcase.
J
Wash days are twice a week. Prescription shampoo and a regular conditioner the first day, deep conditioner the second. I wear a heat cap over my hair on deep condition days.

To refresh, a clothing steamer for the majority of the hair, a mist sprayer for the flyaways.

How to create lift on hair that grows down?


For the past year I’ve been trying to grow my curls out to no avail. About 8 years ago my hair was down to my mid section and a lot of the ends were straight from heat damage. I started bleaching it 7 years ago, big chopped it a few times to try to keep it healthy, quit bleaching a year and a half ago, and now it is a few inches below my collar bone. Curls are healthy now but my hair breaks off once it gets to this length. I know I need a better refresh day routine and not sure where to start. As well as just trying to get the best routine for my hair down.

My routine:
In shower:
- wash twice a week (redken curl acidic bonding shampoo and conditioner)
Out of shower:
-detangle when wet
- kinky curly knot today natural leave in / detangler
- Redken moisture treatment leave in
- OGX coconut miracle oil
- Mango & shea leave in conditioner (not sure of brand)
- k18 molecular repair hair oil (when I have it)

In between wash days:
-sleep in silk bonnet
- add the ogx coconut miracle oil every other day if I remember?

I wear my hair slicked back a lot because I get frizz soo bad in between wash days. I wear hair clips and use hair ties and try not to do them too tight. My go to protective style is 1 or 2 Dutch braids. My hair tangles SO easily and the ends break off very badly. I try not to brush my hair dry or touch it a lot. I’ve tried to refrain from using protein for the last 2 years. I’ve been trying to stick to a moisture based routine but it seems like no matter what I do, my hair is dry, tangled, and ends break off. Help!

Breakage that won’t stop!


Thank you all for the help on my last post on how to help my curls/waves ! 💗 You guys were right that I was weighing down my hair. I ended up just going to a curl specialist and she gave me a curly cut and also walked me through how to care for my hair type. I figured I’d make a post for those with fine curly/wavy hair who are curious.

Products used:
Malibu undoogoo clarifying (use once a month) Innersense pure harmony shampoo + conditioner
Innersense volume lotion + foam

Routine:
(In shower)
1. Shampoo
•When shampooing be sure to emulsify product between your hands, double shampoo, and get lengths as well!
•Rinse (hair should be soaking wet)

2.Condition
•When conditioning don’t apply directly to roots but you can comb product through roots •Rinse (hair should be soaking wet and feel like “seaweed”)

(After Shower)

3. Sectioning
•Section hair with detangling brush (+clips for extra volume at root)

4. Apply Styling Products
•Add  volume lotion+ volumizing foam while hair is still soaking wet (raking method from roots to ends)
•Gently Scrunch hair from ends to roots

5. Drying
• Hover with Diffuser until Cast is hard
• Then use hands and gentle break cast by scrunching to root (don’t use product when breaking cast, NO OIL!!!!)
•Then diffuse normally

I’m sorry if I didn’t explain this the best, I’m going off memory alone so I might be leaving out some minor steps.

Progress from my last post + Updated routine from Curl Specialist


What is the best over the head hair dryer?  I just got the Conair one but don't think it goes down far enough or dries underneath.   I have a portable one that you stick your hairdryer in for travel but it's a pain to hold it for an hour.

Hair 2b.  Thick, just above shoulders

Routine

All products by Innersense

Wash and condition
Pea size amount of the smoothing cream on very wet hair
Big glob of curl memory
Plop
Add a bit more gel

Style with clips away from face.   Prefer to 100% air dry but I need a half day to do 50% air, 50% diffuse.  Sleep with a bonnet and silk pillowcase.

Best bonnet hair dryer


Don’t mind the frizz, it’s super humid.

Best thing I’ve found for working out and keeping hair decent - BANANA CLIPS.

Routine: Ouidad leave in and gel, denman brush. Day 2 hair, post gym.

A girls girl doesn’t gatekeep - best thing for curly gym girls


I'm getting married at the end of September and am looking for advice from brides who wore their hair down on their wedding day. I've been trying different products for the past six months to find the right combination that has a good hold!

Right now my routine is I wash with Loreal Elvive Hyaluron Plump shampoo and conditioner. Lately I only have been using Not Your Mother's Freeze Gel to style since it's been so hot and humid where I live. If the temp isn't too bad then I'll also use Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curls before I use gel. Typically when I hover diffuse to dry the roots (often tilting my head to the side and flipping my hair upside down) and then will gently dry my ends by cupping my hair into the diffuser. When it's mostly dry I put little clips at the front to add volume to the roots, then let my hair finish air drying while I get ready. If I'm feeling lazy and I have time I'll just let my hair air dry. I always wear a silk scarf tied around my neck like a cape no matter how I style to avoid frizz haha

Does anyone have advice on maintaining your curls throughout your wedding day if you wore your hair down or about products you've used to help hold up your curls for all day events?? Especially if you're going to be spending a good amount of time outside! I want to wear my hair down on my wedding day, so if you have tips on cute hairstyles for wearing your hair down or even half up half down please share them with me ❤

I included some pics of how I wore my hair recently for my best friend's wedding and of how my hair looked when I bought my dress!

Advice on wedding day hair


I have 2c-3a curls, layered to shoulder-length. I am headed on a 2-week Alaskan cruise for our 30th anniversary, where it will be more damp/humid and much more windy than at home. What do I need to consider taking with me to combat this, given that I will be outdoors a lot AND needing to have decent hair for two gala/formal nights?

My typical routine: double wash with either Aussie Miracle Curls or Aveda Cherry Almond shampoo (Suave clarifying every couple of weeks as first wash); condition with Aussie 3-minute Miracle or Aveda Cherry Almond - comb through and squish, leave for 3-5 minutes; in the shower on dripping wet hair, I add Garnier-Fructus Sleek and Shine leave-in - combed through and scrunched; then LA Looks blue gel-combed through and scrunched; microplop with t-shirt then more gel glazed and scrunched; hover diffuse until cast formed; pixie diffuse until 80-90% dry. This gives me 3-4 days of hold.

Is there anything I can add to combat the humidity level difference? I've a small jar of Miche tropical oasis anti-humectant gel, will that help? Or a hairspray? Also, I'm guessing I should put my hair up when outdoors to combat the windiness. I rarely put it up aside from pineappling at night, but I'm too old to rock the pineapple in public! What tools are best to keep from pulling the curls out? Claw clips? I just got a satin-lined winter beanie, but that won't accommodate an up-do, but I can likely use a loose satin scrunchie to bunch my hair up before wearing, when it's cold enough.

Last question, not necessarily for vacation but every day. My hair has lost its glossiness as I've aged and I'm letting it naturally gray. Are there suitable-for-curly-hair treatments or products that will add gloss or shine?

Thank you for helping!

How to care for curls on vacation - cruise + how to add gloss and shine


What is my curl type???

Also, I have NO IDEA what to do with my hair when I go to bed without having to rewash (not necessarily shampoo, just cowash) it in the morning! I've tried several types of silk bonnets but they still come out smushed, if I haven't ripped it off overnight. Silk pillowcases make me break out terribly so can't use those. Should I tie it up somehow?

Additionally, I usually keep my hair at this length, maybe slightly longer. However, I struggle with sectioning when styling and brushing. I haven't been able to style it while keeping my side part and having root volume (I ordered some root volume clips coming in this week). I diffuse my hair on days I wash and go to work, and air dry if I stay home. I get full highlights once a year, and a partial maybe once or twice, always with Olaplex. I think my hair is pretty high porosity, even before I started doing highlights. Strands are fine-medium, but as you can see I have quite a bit of hair.

Here's the routine I did in these pictures:
1. Shampoo and condition with EverPure Bond Repair (also did a scalp rinse, the Pacifica one).
2. Detangled with UnBrush, then attempted to section.
3. In each section, I used (in this order): Rizos Curl Cream, Mousse Def, and Curlsmith Curl Jelly (the flex hold one that's fragrance free).
4. Styled with Bounce Curl Volume brush. I also have the define version, but I feel like it makes too big clumps.
5. Quick spritz of the EverPure Moisture Spray for heat protection, then diffused (about 80% dry).
6. Waited until fully dry, then broke cast with Ouai Hair oil.

I have a ton of mini products to test out and see what works best with my curls and the climate here (super humid and hot). I'm just worried I'm inadvertently using too heavy products.

Any tips? Advice? Thank you! ❤

What is my curl type? I need some help too!


I have about shoulder length 2C-3A hair but having a comb over most of my life until my hair started getting curly 2-3 years ago and then me deciding to grow it way out I’ve never styled my hair too intensely before. I have a bouncecurl brush and salon clips, as well as an assortment of claw clips. A detangling brush of course as well. I’ve tried and tried to use the bouncecurl brush but my hair is always too flat on the top, the curls only starting 2 inches down from the roots. The best root definition and volume is from what I’ve just been doing recently which is not using the brush at all and just detangling then putting product in, flipping my head over and scrunching in gel upside down. It leads to the best hair I’ve had. But the I still feel like it could be better. Still learning and any help to my routine would be appreciated.

Help with brush styling


Products

-tgin Miracle Repairx Protective Leave-In Conditioner

-Pattern Curl Mousse

-Kirkland signature shampoo (not recommended)

-Garnier Fructise conditioner (not recommended)

Supplies

-x3 claw clips

-boar's hair brush

-wide tooth comb or denman brush

Routine

Section clean, damp hair into 4 sections, applying claw clips to 3 of the sections. Apply one pump of tgix leave-in conditioner to the 4th section by distributing as evenly as possibly with your fingers. Spread the product by squeezing bundles of hair into your fists until you can hear the product-saturated water "squishing". To better coat the roots, use the boar's hair brush from root to tip throughout the section.

Once you are confident the conditioner is evenly applied from root to tip on your first section, repeat the same process on the same section with the Pattern Curl Mousse using two pumps of mousse. I can't stress enough: both conditioner and mousse must be EVENLY applied FROM ROOT TO TIP.

Once the section is saturated with both conditioner and mousse, it's time to style it. For me, that means brushing through the a wide-tooth comb or denman brush until the curls appear sufficiently "clumped" with few flyaways.

Repeat all of these steps for the remaining 3 sections.

For best results, let air-dry. You can use a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment in a pinch.

I get compliments on my hair a lot and wanted to share my routine!


Hi! I'm overdue for a haircut and was hoping the community could either share your prefered search tool for inspo pics,share pics you've seen that match my hair pattern (picture attached), or share a picture of your own hair if it matches mine! I'm finding it hard to find inspiration pics that mimic my hair type since all of the ones I see on IG, Pinterest, and Google are usually a wider curl and have volume that seems a bit too hard for me to achieve. I figured I'd ask the community for some help here.

My hair type:
 I have 3c- 4a-ish hair that I'd consider to be thin and can be hard to get volume at the routes since they naturally lay flat (clips help tho)! The pics shown are from day 1 styling which is laying a little flat on the side but I prefer a bit more volume on the sides. This happens on the best hair days which has been rare as of late.

What I'm looking for in a pic:
- Bangs. Middle, side, or no hair part. A good shape overall.
- Approximately shoulder length, could be a bit shorter since I don't need to get rid of these split ends!
- Preferably shows how curls look around the face, but if you find one with a GREAT shape with a curl pattern similar to mine, please share.

Looking forward to seeing what comes in! Please let me know if you need me to provide more info or have an amazing source for more inspo pics! Thank you!

Looking for inspo pics for my hair


I was in high school in the 1980’s when big permed hair was all the rage, and here I was, with naturally curly hair and only mousse as a product. I was a frizzy mess!  Now, in my 50’s, I’ve finally found peace with my hair.  If only I had these products and knowledge in high school!
Routine: wash with Pureology Hydrate
Condition with Ouidad climate control conditioner
Squeeze out excess moisture
Section using alligator clips, apply Ouidad climate control gel per section. Denman brush before moving to the next section
Scrunch everything with a t-shirt
Hover diffuse upside down to get roots, pixie diffuse the rest. Scrunch out crunch with a tiny bit of conditioner and hope for the best!

I wish I’d had this curly hair knowledge in the 80’s!


Thanks to a comment from one of you, I recently discovered the method of wrapping your hair around the handle of a denman brush. My curls like to change curl direction halfway down (sometimes more than once), but this method was a game changer to get them to do what I wanted!!

Also, shoutout to my blonding specialist!! I’m (begrudgingly) growing out the highlights to see what my hair texture is like without bleach damage, and did she do a great job at blending or what?? Looks like I got an ombré on purpose, not like I just abruptly stopped scheduling color appointments six months ago.

Routine:

Wash with Aussie Total Miracle shampoo

Condition with Aussie Total Miracle conditioner (rinse out fully)

With hair wet but not dripping, apply LA Looks extreme sport gel with praying hands

Comb through with wide-tooth comb to separate layers and clumps (and further distribute product)

Brush style with denman, wrapping sections around handle, and re-wetting sections with spray bottle as needed

Micro plop with microfiber towel

Insert root clips at top of hair

Wait to air dry (~4 hours)

Scrunch out the crunch

It’s still a bit barrel-like in places (and trust me, it does NOT look this good all the way around lol), but I’m very happy with the progress! Getting it cut tomorrow, so I’m glad I got to see my blonde look its best on its last day. 🪦

Six months of progress (swipe for the before)


Hi everyone,

I’m currently pregnant and expecting twins this spring! Although im very excited to be a first-time mom I’m nervous for how to maintain my hair.

Background: I have mostly 2C hair with some 2B and 3A thrown in. The ends are a little straight from a few rounds of Brazilian Blowouts I did before I got married in Jan 2023, but it’s mostly cut out now. My hair is pretty fine but I have a good amount of it.

Problem: I don’t want to rely too much on slicked back buns and ponytails bc that’s just a different headache. I’m not opposed to heat styling, but blowing it out every few days doesn’t seem like a great option either. Any advice here or should I just accept that my hair health will decline postpartum one way or another? I considered doing keratin treatments but I’ve just never had a good experience with chemical treatments in my lifetime and always regret getting them done. My roots are super flat when I air dry. I’ve tried volume mousses and root clipping and just tend to get wonky roots from the clips. The volume mousses only helps when I diffuse upside down.

All that considered, any tips or product recs that are good for a quick wash day? My curly hair routine genuinely takes at least 1 hour and then a full refresh daily if I don’t rewash it which doesn’t seem feasible with newborns. My hair just tends to get really frizzy and looks the best on wash day then continues to decline from there into limp and stringy waves.
Ideally, I would want to find a routine now that’s relatively low maintenance and looks good air dried. Any advice, tips, or product recs here? Or is my hair/appearance realistically just going to take a backseat for some time?

Thanks

First Time Mom Hair Tips/Advice


I endlessly read don't brush - only finger comb or wide tooth comb. That would take me approximately 6 years with my hair. If you even look at my hair, it tangles. Lord help me if it's a windy day. I'm having a beast of a time finding the right routine. Nothing seems to work.
This is my hair brushed after the shower (shampoo/conditioner) and no product because I threw it to in my head with claw clips while dealing with post Christmas cleaning and this is unfortunately somehow the best it's looked since before baby #3.
Once it's down I usually only get one day max where it looks nice before it turns into a frizzy tangled mess.

Fine curly hair... How do you detangle?


So I'm sure I'm not the only one who got tired of all the work that goes into curly hair. Mousse, gel, plopping, etc etc.
So I thought I'd share a simple routine that's worked for me! I've tried to go au naturel in the past with no success. I've been at it this time for about 5 months.

- Shampoo: Davines Love Curl Shampoo
- Conditioner: Davines Oi Conditioner (I part my hair with a wide tooth comb when rinsing and scrunch to induce clumps)
- Flip hair over and wrap in towel (gently) for a few minutes so it's not sopping wet.
-Praying hands method to work in Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion (just got this and started using it but so far I like it).
-Then I just hover diffuse and scrunch my hair as I go. That might cause frizz for some but it seems to work reasonably well for me. Sometimes I'll put claw clips on my part to get some lift at the roots. Works like a charm!

I'm not blessed with curls that have any sort of staying power and gel weighs my hair down that it looks limp and unwashed at the end of the day. So in the mornings I just dampen my hair with a spray bottle, run my hands down it to calm any frizz, then re-scrunch and air dry.

The photos are second day hair at the end of the day. Bit of frizz as you can see but my hair is weighed down easily so that's the trade off!
It's not perfect but this is the best my natural curls have ever looked 😅

Also if anyone can see if I'm in need of protein or moisture from the photos, I'd be happy for the feedback. Can't figure that out for the life of me.

I hope this helps someone! I've learned a lot from this sub 😊💜

Minimalist 2B routine


I have ADHD, I hate having soaking wet hair, and my awful time management doesn’t leave time to blow dry … annnnd I have the type of hair that requires a full soak to come back every day even with wearing a silk bonnet overnight. This is my daily routine for having the least amount of time with dripping hair, takes about 10-15 minutes of styling time, and can be done on clean or dirty hair.

1: I hang a towel and a lightweight waffle weave robe within reach of the shower, and I bring my Bounce Curl brush and claw clips into the shower.

2: I fully soak my hair in the shower.

3: Towel off leaving my hair dripping, then I put on my robe. This really helps with not having wet hair touch my shoulders while  styling.

4: I leave my hair products in the shower, and I also hung a shower mirror so I can see while I apply everything in the shower.

5: I add curl cream followed by gel. I adjust my part and bangs with my fingers, then clip the crown of my hair up, followed by the middle section, and leave the bottom loose to start working.

6: I use the Bounce Curl brush on each section. When I’m done, I pour a curl refresher into my palms and squish it into my curls. My curls love to be soaked and curl refresher has been the best option since water just dilutes the products.

7: I step out of the shower and use the VOLO Hero Cloud Towel to squish the water out of my hair. I put the towel in my hand, squish a clump of curls, and pulse 7-10 times. I do this all around my head until the curls are just damp.

8: Because this does dilute the products, I then spray my curls with hairspray. I know it sounds crazy, but it sets the same type of cast as gel and breaking the cast gives non-crunchy curls.

9: An hour later on my drive to work, I start drying the roots and breaking their cast by using my fingers like a head massager. I find this also helps with volume.

10: I can break the rest of the cast about an hour and a half after getting out of the shower.

10-15 min styling routine for when your hair loves to be soaked but you hate having wet hair


I really want to experiment more with my hair with accessories, and I have tried to use claw clips but I just can’t get it right. I have watched so many videos but it’s either shorter curly hair or just straight hair, or way curlier hair than mine so I can’t really apply the same style.

Also does this look silly? This is the best I’ve got it. My hair is actually curlier than this, I just had it styled in 2 strand twists that day.

Anyone got any good methods for updos, especially with claw clips?


I’ve been growing out my hair for a while and seeing a curl specialist. I use innersense products and I’m curious what the difference is between the pre-wash vs the detox mask and also whether a detox or hydrating mask would be better for me. I used to be able to make it almost an entire week on one wash, but I’m finding my hair will get matted and tangled more easily and difficult to brush if I decide to just put it in a clip for simplicity.

I’m also looking for any tips on accommodating myself since I have many symptoms that make a curly routine difficult. I’ve tried simplifying it to just shampoo, conditioner, combing it in the shower, then gel, scrunch dry with a cotton towel or tshirt, then diffuse my hair laying down with my hair hanging a few inches from my diffuser which I put on a chair.

My hair has also been thinning due to some health conditions and medicines I take, but I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about that besides professional treatment or minoxidil which I don’t want to use.

I currently use the innersense clarity shampoo and conditioner and the “I create hold” gel and dilute it in my hands just to make sure my hair is wet enough to make my waves/curls look a bit better. I’ve used the finish spray and the leave-in conditioner in the past, but I’ve cut those since a long routine just isn’t in the cards for me right now and the finish spray made my hair a bit too crunchy anyways to where I couldn’t get the crunch out after drying.

I also have a satin pillowcase and I pineapple my hair with a loose spiral ponytail (satin scrunchies would still crease my hair since I had to wrap it multiple times to make it stay). I have also tried various bonnets, but the only one that would stay on my head was the adjustable one, which actually hurt my head if I made it tight enough to stay put all night. So pineapple and a satin pillowcase is the best I’ve been able to manage so far.

I just mainly want tips to make my wash go further (whether that’s a detox/hydrating mask or a pre-wash treatment) and any tips to accommodating while still having decent hair.

Also, any ideas for how to style it once it’s gone a bit too long to wear down. I’ve been resorting to claw clips because that’s all I can think of since ponytails are too tight and  I’m trying to avoid thinning my hair even more.

I know I’m a rambler and my thoughts are incredibly disorganized, but I really appreciate anyone who read this long and has ideas, advice, or product recommendations! I have a new found appreciation for my hair since I’ve started seeing the curl specialist and embracing my natural texture and I love that there’s communities like this where we can help each other live better and happier lives 🥹❤

Curly Routine Accommodations, making a wash last longer, styling when it’s been too long to wear down


Hi, all, I have 2b/2c wavy curly hair. Even when I have a great wash day, I’m still getting relatively straight pieces on the bottom portion of my hair and I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to fix it. As you can see these two pieces are literally next to each other, and I can’t figure out why one is spiraling and the other is completely straight. I do my best to make sure that my products are fully saturated through my entire head.

**This picture is on day 4 post-wash so the pieces are starting to get a little bit stringy but neither of them have really changed all that much since wash day in terms of hold. Should I maybe be treating the bottom/outer layer of my hair differently than I do the rest of my hair? Have any of you done this?

My routine is:
1. Wash with Prose shampoo
2. Flip head upside down and squish-to-condish with Prose conditioner.
3. Add about a dime size of Prose curl cream focusing mainly on the lower layers closest to my neck as that’s the driest area.
4. Plop in a microfiber towel for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. If any of my hair is too dry at that point and no longer squishes when I scrunch, I add more water with a spray bottle.
6. Section and begin adding Prose gel throughout my lower sections moving toward the top and then I brush style with the Bounce Curl volume edge lift brush.
7. Once I finish brush styling, I flip my head upside down and re-scrunch my hair with a microfiber towel to remove some of the wetness as my hair holds a lot of water and if I don’t do this, it takes forever to dry.
8. Spray entire head with alcohol- free hairspray.
9. Then I flip my head upside down and begin pixie diffusing on medium heat. This takes me about 25 to 30 minutes.
10. I diffuse until about 95% dry, put in some root clips and hang out with my hair until it’s fully dry for an hour or two. After that, I flip my head upside down and scrunch out the crunch.

Inevitably, I always have these weird spots that are literally next to each other. I’ll have one that spirals in its normal pattern and the one directly next to it is fully straight with barely any wave. I realize that curl patterns can vary throughout the head, but can they literally vary from one curl to the next? Or is there something in my process that I’m doing or not doing that might be causing this?

I have super sensitive skin (the redness on my neck is a perfect example of the problems I have when exposed to certain ingredients) and can’t use anything with limonene or Linalool which stinks because most curly products have those ingredients in it. Fragrance is also completely a no no for me so that’s why I’ve been primarily sticking with Prose since I can request those ingredients to not be in my products.

Every few weeks I use Curlsmith Bond curl rehab salve as well as clarify my hair with Olaplex *4.

Happy to fill in any gaps/answer questions if that helps. Thanks!

Need troubleshooting help pls


I’m BEYOND over the half up half down hairstyle with my trusty two pieces of hair floating in the front of my face 😩 and the worst part is I only just started this hairstyle!! Before it was strictly down and before that strictly a ponytail! 🥴 I look at so much YouTube videos and TikTok’s and I just can’t find anything that makes sense. I can’t get past when a video starts with them parting their hair PERFECTLY! I’m shook to my core! I have to rip like 5 strands just to get half of a part 😆🙈

So if you have any favorite super freaking easy styles plllls let me know! I have claw clips? 😅

My routine :

Innersense products

Color Awakening Hair Bath - aka shampoo

Color radiance daily conditioner

Quiet calm - kind of like a leave in conditioner (I apply this in the shower after I rinse out my conditioner and I wet my hands with the water here and there if my hair feels like it’s getting too dry)

I create curl memory - seems like a gel to me but lighter (I apply this next like I do gel sometimes praying hands sometimes a mix of raking my fingers through my)

Dry with my hooded air dryer

Sometimes! I use the gel from innersense but have been cheaping out and just stopping at the I create curl memory. Not that long of a hold this way! Maybe best day is 2nd day curls and with gel I get a better 3rd day curl.

Detox twice a month

What styles are you doing!?


I had the big chip on January and I felt so bad. I had to pull myself together and tried to make the best out of it.

Now 7 months later I’m finally able to wear my hair like I did before - with the help of many hair clips and a fake bun for more volume 🤫

Anyway, cutting off my damaged hair was the best thing I could do. My hair is much healthier now and I finally found a hair routine working for me. I really missed my bun and my curly bangs 🥹

1st time bun after the big chop


I’m new to the office and I’ve been trying to figure out ways to put my hair up and still look cute. My hair is so heavy that buns always fall after a bit and claw clips don’t work. I feel Amish when I put my hair up in a bun and because of my layers ponytails aren’t the best. Any advice?

Photo is from my last cut :)

My routine: I shampoo twice a week with Milkshake, conditioner every other day with Milkshake and occasionally add in some living proof anti frizz in the morning

Best up-dos for work?


Best Indie Clips For Your Hair: Which One Are You Likely To Wear?


**Issue: My hair breaks/falls out like CRAZY but always grows back.** It doesn't look like I have thin hair--in fact, it's thick at the roots with all the baby hairs growing back but gets straggly with length. It's been like this since my early 20s (I'm now in my mid-30s), but those days I could at least grow my hair longer than mid-neck length before it getting  straggly.

Is there something else I should be trying--maybe silicones would be good for my hair? A particular hair treatment? Again, it's not a matter of my hair thinning, just that it breaks or falls out before I get much growth.

My Routine:

* I have 2c, low-medium porosity hair. The texture feels dry and coarse, never shiny or soft.
* I've been using the CGM for about a decade and avoid silicones in products at all costs.
* Additionally, I take prenatal vitamins and iron supplements.
* Sometimes I steam-treat my hair to help it absorb conditioner.
* And use a boar's hair comb.
* I wash 1-2x/week and use a shampoo for my scalp (psoriasis) containing pyrithione zinc--it's the best one I've found that doesn't completely strip my hair.
* I use clips, generally, rather than hair ties to avoid breakage (though I think that's moot).
* I sleep on a silk pillow and use a satin bonnet.

Hair never stops breaking, help!


Hi friends. I have mostly 3a curls with some 2c mixed in, and since I have a store credit burning in my pocket I wanted to hear thoughts on some appliances I'm considering. While my strand texture is medium, the density is fairly thick / full.

**Hood dryers:** I'm considering this [Stand Hood Dryer](https://ivyusa.com/product/3000-ceramic-stand-hood-dryer/) or smaller [Adjustable Hood Dryer](https://ivyusa.com/product/ceramic-tourmaline-professional-hair-hood-dryer-1875-watt/) for wash day drying. I have read some good tips to use clips on my roots and diffuse the ends if I buy one of these, but I would love to hear from more people / recent experience with either of these and if they would benefit my hair type.

**Steamer:** I am also considering this [Hair & Facial Steamer](https://ivyusa.com/product/red-by-kiss-hair-therapy-2-in-1-hair-facial-steamer/) for day 2 refresh. I think the steam would feel nice and would hope if I bought this that it would add some bounce and curl up my flattened pieces.

I live in a dry climate that snows between Halloween and Mother's Day, so I think any of these could be a nice getting ready moment anyway. But I'd like to put my credit to the best use and have the best chance of some great hair, so I appreciate any insight you can give.

Hood dryer or steamer to help styling?


My hair is just a mess all the time, y'all. It's always either flat or completely wild. I also have very fine hair that is super easily weighed down. I just don't know what to do anymore. I have spent hundreds of dollars on curly hair products in the last 5 years and nothing really seems to be doing it for me. I'm not even confident I can get much help here but thought it couldn't hurt to try lol

It seems I have the best results adding styling products and doing any finger or brush styling while my hair is soaking wet, before plopping. If I try to manipulate my hair at all when it's just damp, it loses all definition and looks very stringy all over.

These photos are day 2 after my wash day. I finger comb to get most of the tangles out and try to fix the part, then spray with water mixed with a little Innersense leave in conditioner. Once wet, I added a tiny amount of Curly World leave in lover gel to try to get a little more definition/hold back into it. Mostly styled upside down to try to encourage volume. I have one of those bouncy curl brushes and today used that to try to create some definition in the front. Add more water if it seems frizzy/dry. Plop with a cotton tshirt, then diffuse mostly upside down until about 80% dry, then air dry the rest. I use root clips also while diffusing.

Also want to note that I have no color in my hair. All the "highlights" you see are grays and the brown is my natural color

I'll put my wash day routine in the comments. Any advice would be great! I'm losing steam over here lol

I really hate my hair


For the past year, I have been going through a lot and still facing challenges, making it hard for me to manage my curls. I neglected my hair for almost a year before deciding to get a big chop, and I tried my best by putting my hair in a ponytail or using clips. I used to take care of them well until the beginning of last year, but now I just don’t have the energy. Even when I try, my arms hurt from the effort.

My hair went from waist-length to shoulder-length when I got it cut a couple of months ago, and now it’s growing past my shoulders, but I still can’t manage it. I don’t want to straighten my hair or undergo any treatments because I know I’ll be able to handle my curls again once I’m feeling better. For now, I need a solution to make my curls manageable with minimal effort and to keep them out of my face, with less damage. I’m looking for anything that can help before I resort to buzzing my hair down to 1-2 inches.

Any suggestion is welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance.

HELP. How to make my 3B/3C corkscrew curls manageable.


Hi! I have pretty thick wavy/curly hair (depending on how recent hair wash day was). My hair is growing and the length is at about my mid back now. Unfortunately, all my claw clips now feel too small to hold my hair and keep falling out! 😩 I've tried buying extra large claw clips and they're either a cheap plastic that breaks or isn't strong enough to stay, or they're just extra long and the depth still isn't enough to hold practically any hair. My best clip is a large 3" metal claw clip but like I said, it's starting to be too small now. Using a claw clip is my favorite hairstyle right now, especially with summer coming now.

Where are we all getting big claw clips that stay!?!?!? Please and thanks! Would love some links!!!!

Claw clips!?


Hello, all!

I am desperately in search of a claw clip that can accommodate my waist-length, extremely thick 2c-3b hair! I live in a very hot climate, so the summers are brutal and I prefer to keep my hair up so it doesn’t stick to my neck. The heat and humidity paired with my hair thickness and dryness means that my hair gets knotted and tangled quite easily, which is another reason I like having updo options.

I currently the Kov Essentials XL clip, which I saw reviewed on TikTok. While it’s the best claw clip I have tried personally, it just does not hold all of my hair easily or in the style I want. I’ve been getting bored of ponytails and messy buns, so I wanted to try and switch things up by using a french twist pin and clips so I can make slightly more elegant or put-together summer hairstyles. My hair will NOT fit in a french twist in the Kov essentials clip, and it won’t hold all of my hair even if I don’t twist it.

Is this a pipe dream? Do I need to give up on claw clips and just stick with basic ponytails and buns? Product recommendations as well as general updo/twist from other curlies with very long and thick hair would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance☺

Hair Clips


I have low porosity wavy hair, roughly 2b-2c as you can see in the photos

* Photo 1: a very good hair day; air dried and no product, not sure if same day or the day after after a wash
* Photo 2: a bad hair day; air dried, no product, slept on it and then took it down out of a bun
* Photo 3: my first attempt at using gel with the CGM styling guide

**Hair Goals:** to consistently achieve a look like photo 1, only with less frizz, better volume at the roots, and more defined waves. My hair is currently at the middle of my back (I'm trying to grow it down to my butt because I want to look like a Pre-Raphaelite painting)

I read up on the Beginner Routine and tried it starting last night. I'm super grateful for how extensive the doc is, it's a lifesaver 💖 I've never been much of a hair or make up person, so this is all very new and daunting.

However, I really don't like the results from my first attempt with the gel, and I'm not sure where I went wrong?

Here's what I did:

* Stepped out of shower with hair dripping wet
* Worked 2 big handfuls of LA Looks Extreme Sport gel into my hair, as recommended, working in sections
* As I applied the gel, my hair naturally began separating into a multitude of wavy locks
* To try and prevent flat roots, I used butterfly clips to make a O shape around the crown of my head (I don't think I did it right; next time I'll try the method from the guide that uses alligator clips)
* Scrunched hair with a t-shirt to encourage waves and remove excess gel
* Lay flat on my stomach for roughly 90 minutes to let hair start drying, then went to sleep, flipping my hair over my head so it rested on my pillow
* Woke up with a ton of waves set in a cast, similar to in the CGM guide
* Did my best to follow the scrunch and crunch directions, but felt very confused despite watching multiple videos
* Ended up with Photo 3 result :(

I know this is a lot of info, but I wanted to be thorough like the sub guidelines said. Any/all advice is very much appreciated, I have no idea what I'm doing but I've got some big stuff coming up next week and I want my hair to look like Photo 1, not 2 or 3 😭

__Old Routine__

* Brush dry hair with a detangler brush to remove tangles before getting in the shower
* Wash every other day with Pantene Curl Perfection Shampoo
* Condition using Fresh Thyme Honey Almond Conditioner
* Let conditioner sit for a minute, then detangle using first a stiff wet brush detangler and then a wide tooth comb
* Rinse out the conditioner, and squeeze the water out of my hair
* Spray the last 2-3 inches with Solutions by Great Clips Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner
* Let my hair air dry

The results I get from this routine vary wildly 😬

Trying the Beginner Routine but I think I screwed up???


So I have thick curly hair that goes to my butt and even the claw clips labeled "large" don't cut it. Well a few months ago I went to the pharmacy and saw this clip on sale for like $5 and decided to try it. THIS IS THE BEST CLIP IVE EVER USED! It doesn't pull on my hair. The springs are covered so my hair doesn't get caught in them. It's curved so I don't even feel it resting against my head. It holds all my hair I don't even use a hair tie with it I just twist my hair up and it holds it all. I can easily open it with one hand.
I went back to the store to get another one cause my sister (same type of hair) fell in love with it too and wanted to steal it from me but sadly we can't find them anywhere. Sorry for the long post on a hair clip I just know the people in this reddit would understand how amazing this is.

The BEST clip


Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my curly hair journey and do a tell all of what it really takes to look after curly hair.

A few notes:

Note 1 : My images are in chronological order and not all pictures I have curly hair - as this is also a journey of self love for my curls, but also to show length and health.

Please note: I have naturally 3b/3c curls. Genetics play a huge role in hair growth, hair strength and hair pattern. I am from latin American / brazilian heritage and this is what worked for my hair personally.

Image 1: Before I ruined my hair through straightening and dying it blonde.

Image 2: My hair after many years of straightening and a lot breakage and at the start of my hair growth journey.

Image 3: hair growth update. Also bear in mind throughout 2020 and 2023 I cut my hair a lot because there was a lot of breakage, damage, split ends and it felt like straw. My goal was healthy hair first. Long hair second.

Image 4: as you can see a huge difference in growth. This was the last time I straightened my hair.

Image 5: this was the state of my curly hair in Jan 2024 as you can see a lot of uneven hair strands.

Image 6: most recent image of my curls. I’m so proud. My hair is flourishing and will continue to do so because I treat my hair with tender love and care!

Image 7: Brazilian styling cream I recommend all curly haired people to use. Brazilian hair products is one of the best in the world for curly hair.

Image 8: wet brush I recommend using in the shower. Gentle on the scalp and hair.

For the majority of my teenage years up until 21 I straightened my hair everyday. People I knew for years didn’t even know I had curly hair. During lockdown I decided it was time to grow my hair to tailbone length and stop straightening my hair.

So this reddit post is 4 years of up and down, back and forth progression of my hair journey, growth and health.

Before Covid my hair was really really struggling. In image 1 as you can see my hair is very short. You can't see the Split ends, breakage and dehydration but it felt like straw and it was **really** bad.

Curly hair requires a lot of  **patience, time, tenderness, love and care**.

Curly hair is so beautiful, and I wish I took better care of it growing up. I never felt pretty or beautiful with my curly hair but now I'm 25 and think who cares! This is me at my natural state, it's who I am.

I’m still a long way to my desired length but I have made significant changes to my hair health due to my routine and care that all I have to do now is just let it grow.

As I said taking care of curly hair can be time consuming, and it requires patience. But growing hair is not hard. It’s actually very simple and easy.

The secret key is to leave your hair alone and  **HYDRATION.**

Don’t bleach it, don’t dye it, don’t straighten it, don’t over wash it, don’t under wash it, don't use scrunchies and grip claws that damage and break your hair. Be gentle.

**Curly hair must always be brushed only when wet. Do not brush your hair when it is dry. Please. This will damage your curls and hair shaft.**

My Hair Tips + Routine.

1. Use the correct brushes. But really just please brush your hair gently no matter what brush you use.  I do have a few different brushes that I use that I think all have their different pros.

2.   Wooden brushes - I like to use this brush when my hair is straight on dry hair.

3. Boar bristle brushes - Have compact bristles which I think is good for styling. I put leave in conditioner on a selection of wet hair brush it and then curl my hair around my fingers and slowly uncurl it down.

4. A wet brush for the shower, that is open and does not have a pillow like boar bristles and wooden brushes. These can dry quickly  and won't have mould grow inside the cushion if kept in the shower. Remember this is all about minimising breakage.

5. I stay away from anything plastic, plastic claw clips that pull and tug on your hair. Hair bands that are thin and have the metal on them. I use scrunchies as they are gentle.  Satin, silk or velvet.

6. Use heat protection if you straighten your hair, blow outs or use a diffuser ,  finish it off by adding a light oil to the ends of your hair to keep it hydrated. But of course stay away from heat as much as you can. Whenever I  straighten my hair and wash day arrives,  I ALWAYS deep condition my hair with a conditioner mask or coconut oil for an hour. I have a heated cap that helps warm my hair and scalp to deep condition. Deep conditioning is amazing and a must for hydrated ends. Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! And I try not to straighten it again for another month or so. (It’s a struggle and I can relapse)

7. After washing I use a Brazilian curly hair leave in conditioner that I use to style my hair. I have put a picture up. After I diffuse , I apply oil to the ends of my hair. and again before bed.

8. Keep your scalp clean. A lot of people say not to wash your hair frequently and leave it without washing, which I see why. Your hair is at its most fragile state when wet. Also when you style and curl your hair you can break and damage the hair shaft by pulling and tugging.  But I do think that  it’s important to have a clean scalp. I try to keep a style for 2 days without washing. When I’m ready to restyle I just wet it and reapply the Brazilian cream.  - this again can cause product build up so I wash properly after 2.

10. ALWAYS brush from the ends up.

11. I am still figuring out a sleep routine and how to protect my hair when I sleep but I found that putting your hair in a bonnet loose works well. Again what works for you.

I  also want to put a huge emphasis on **BRAZILIAN CURLY HAIR PRODUCTS** ! Majority of Brazilian women have beautiful long curly hair. I promise you! this is someone thing a lot pf people miss. Research into the best brazilian curly hair products. I have added an image of which one I use.

I’m open to questions!

Good luck!

What it really takes to look after curly hair + routine and tips.


Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my curly hair journey and do a tell all of what it really takes to look after curly hair.

Please note: I have naturally 3b/3c curls. Genetics play a huge role in hair growth, hair strength and hair pattern. I am from latin American / brazilian heritage and this is what worked for my hair personally.

Also note: My images are in chronological order.

Image 1: I was 15 . Hair before all the straightening and damage.
Image 2: Start of lock down. A lot of damage. And a very sad , unhealthy hair.
Image 3: the most recent image of my hair straight which was taken in early Feb.
Image 4: my curly hair in Jan.
Image 5: my curly hair yesterday! 25/03/2024
Image 6: what i use to style and keep my hair conditioned. It’s a Brazilian leave in conditioner.
Image 7: the sort of wet brush I recommend to use in the shower.

For the majority of my teenage years up until 21 years of age I straightened my hair everyday. People I knew for years didn’t even know I had curly hair. During lockdown I decided it was time to grow my hair to tailbone length and stop straightening my hair.

So this reddit post is 4 years of up and down, back and forth progression of my hair growth and health.

Before Covid my hair was really really struggling. In image 1 as you can see my hair is very short. You can't see the Split ends, breakage and dehydration but it felt like straw and it was **really** bad.

What I've learnt is that curly hair is tricky to manage. It takes **patience, time, tenderness, love and care**.

Curly hair is so beautiful, and I wish I took better care of it growing up. I never felt pretty or beautiful with my curly hair but now I'm 25 and think who cares! This is me at my natural state, it's who I am.

I’m still a long way to my desired length but I have made significant changes to my hair routine and care that all I have to do now is just let it grow.

As I said taking care of curly hair can be time consuming, and it requires patience. But growing hair is not hard. It’s actually very simple and easy.

The secret key is to leave your hair alone.

Don’t bleach it, don’t dye it, don’t straighten it, don’t over wash it, don’t under wash it, don't use scrunchies and grip claws that damage and break your hair. Be gentle.

The secret to healthy hair is  **HYDRATION.**

**Curly hair must always be brushed only when wet. Do not brush your hair when it is dry. Please. This will damage your curls and hair shaft.**

My Hair Tips:

1. Use the correct brushes. But really just please brush your hair gently no matter what brush you have.  But I do have a few different brushes that I use that I think all have their different pros.
2.   Wooden brushes - I like to brush when my hair is straight on dry hair.
3. Boar bristle brushes - Have compact bristles which I think is good for styling. I place leave in conditioner on a selection of hair brush it and then curl my hair around my fingers and slowly uncurl it down.
4. A wet brush for the shower, that is open and doses have a pillow like boar bristles and wooden brushed. These can dry quickly  and won't have mould grow inside the cushion if kept in the shower. Remember this is all about minimising breakage.
5. I stay away from anything plastic, plastic claw clips that pull and tug on your hair. Hair bands that are thin and have the metal on them. I use scrunchies as they are gentle.  Satin, silk or velvet.
6. Use heat protection if you straighten your hair, blow outs or use a diffuser ,  finish it off by adding a light oil to the ends of your hair to keep it hydrated. But of course stay away from heat. Whenever I  straighten my hair and wash day arrives,  I ALWAYS deep condition my hair with a conditioner mask or coconut oil for an hour. I have a heated cap that helps warm my hair and scalp to deep condition. Deep conditioning is amazing and a must for hydrated ends. Remember Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! And I try not to straighten it again for another month or so. (It’s a struggle)
7. Use scrunchies for minimising damage.Satin, silk or velvet.
8. After washing I use a Brazilian curly hair leave in conditioner that I use to style my hair. I have put a picture up. After I diffuse , I apply oil to the ends of my hair. and again before bed.
9. Keep your scalp clean. A lot of people say not to wash your hair frequently and leave it without washing, which I understand why. Your hair is at its most fragile state when wet. Also when you style and curly your hair you can break and damage the hair shaft by pulling and tugging.  But I do think that  it’s important to have a clean scalp. I try to keep a style for 2 days without washing or making my hair wet but dosent always work and I need to wet it and I dont necessarily wash it. I just wet it and apply conditioner - but this again can build product build up so wash properly after 2/3 days.
10. ALWAYS brush from the ends up.
11. I am still figuring out a sleep routine and how to protect my hair when I sleep but I found that putting your hair in a bonnet loose works well. Again what works for you.

I  also want to put a huge emphasis on **BRAZILIAN CURLY HAIR PRODUCTS** ! Majority of Brazilian women have beautiful long curly hair. I promise you! this is someone thing a lot pf people miss. Research into the best brazilian curly hair products. I have added an image of which one I use.

Pictures.

1. Picture one was my hair length at the start of covid lockdown. You can't see the damage it had but it was really bad.
2. Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my curly hair journey and do a tell all of what it really takes to look after curly hair.

Please note: I have naturally 3b/3c curls. Genetics play a huge role in hair growth, hair strength and hair pattern. I am from latin American / brazilian heritage and this is what worked for my hair personally.

For the majority of my teenage years up until 21 years of age I straightened my hair everyday. People I knew for years didn’t even know I had curly hair. During lockdown I decided it was time to grow my hair to tailbone length and stop straightening my hair.

So this reddit post is 4 years of up and down, back and forth progression of my hair growth and health.

Before Covid my hair was really really struggling. In image 1 as you can see my hair is very short. You can't see the Split ends, breakage and dehydration but it felt like straw and it was **really** bad.

What I've learnt is that curly hair is tricky to manage. It takes **patience, time, tenderness, love and care**.

Curly hair is so beautiful, and I wish I took better care of it growing up. I never felt pretty or beautiful with my curly hair but now I'm 25 and think who cares! This is me at my natural state, it's who I am.

I’m still a long way to my desired length but I have made significant changes to my hair routine and care that all I have to do now is just let it grow.

As I said taking care of curly hair can be time consuming, and it requires patience. But growing hair is not hard. It’s actually very simple and easy.

The secret key is to leave your hair alone.

Don’t bleach it, don’t dye it, don’t straighten it, don’t over wash it, don’t under wash it, don't use scrunchies and grip claws that damage and break your hair. Be gentle.

The secret to healthy hair is  **HYDRATION.**

**Curly hair must always be brushed only when wet. Do not brush your hair when it is dry. Please. This will damage your curls and hair shaft.**

My Hair Tips:

1. Use the correct brushes. But really just please brush your hair gently no matter what brush you have.  But I do have a few different brushes that I use that I think all have their different pros.
2.   Wooden brushes - I like to brush when my hair is straight on dry hair.
3. Boar bristle brushes - Have compact bristles which I think is good for styling. I place leave in conditioner on a selection of hair brush it and then curl my hair around my fingers and slowly uncurl it down.
4. A wet brush for the shower, that is open and doses have a pillow like boar bristles and wooden brushed. These can dry quickly  and won't have mould grow inside the cushion if kept in the shower. Remember this is all about minimising breakage.
5. I stay away from anything plastic, plastic claw clips that pull and tug on your hair. Hair bands that are thin and have the metal on them. I use scrunchies as they are gentle.  Satin, silk or velvet.
6. Use heat protection if you straighten your hair, blow outs or use a diffuser ,  finish it off by adding a light oil to the ends of your hair to keep it hydrated. But of course stay away from heat. Whenever I  straighten my hair and wash day arrives,  I ALWAYS deep condition my hair with a conditioner mask or coconut oil for an hour. I have a heated cap that helps warm my hair and scalp to deep condition. Deep conditioning is amazing and a must for hydrated ends. Remember Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! And I try not to straighten it again for another month or so. (It’s a struggle)
7. Use scrunchies for minimising damage.Satin, silk or velvet.
8. After washing I use a Brazilian curly hair leave in conditioner that I use to style my hair. I have put a picture up. After I diffuse , I apply oil to the ends of my hair. and again before bed.
9. Keep your scalp clean. A lot of people say not to wash your hair frequently and leave it without washing, which I understand why. Your hair is at its most fragile state when wet. Also when you style and curly your hair you can break and damage the hair shaft by pulling and tugging.  But I do think that  it’s important to have a clean scalp. I try to keep a style for 2 days without washing or making my hair wet but dosent always work and I need to wet it and I dont necessarily wash it. I just wet it and apply conditioner - but this again can build product build up so wash properly after 2/3 days.
10. ALWAYS brush from the ends up.
11. I am still figuring out a sleep routine and how to protect my hair when I sleep but I found that putting your hair in a bonnet loose works well. Again what works for you.

I  also want to put a huge emphasis on **BRAZILIAN CURLY HAIR PRODUCTS** ! Majority of Brazilian women have beautiful long curly hair. I promise you! this is someone thing a lot pf people miss. Research into the best brazilian curly hair products. I have added an image of which one I use.

Pictures.

1. Picture one was my hair length at the start of covid lockdown. You can't see the damage it had but it was really bad.
2. Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my curly hair journey and do a tell all of what it really takes to look after curly hair.

Please note: I have naturally 3b/3c curls. Genetics play a huge role in hair growth, hair strength and hair pattern. I am from latin American / brazilian heritage and this is what worked for my hair personally.

For the majority of my teenage years up until 21 years of age I straightened my hair everyday. People I knew for years didn’t even know I had curly hair. During lockdown I decided it was time to grow my hair to tailbone length and stop straightening my hair.

So this reddit post is 4 years of up and down, back and forth progression of my hair growth and health.

Before Covid my hair was really really struggling. In image 1 as you can see my hair is very short. You can't see the Split ends, breakage and dehydration but it felt like straw and it was **really** bad.

What I've learnt is that curly hair is tricky to manage. It takes **patience, time, tenderness, love and care**.

Curly hair is so beautiful, and I wish I took better care of it growing up. I never felt pretty or beautiful with my curly hair but now I'm 25 and think who cares! This is me at my natural state, it's who I am.

I’m still a long way to my desired length but I have made significant changes to my hair routine and care that all I have to do now is just let it grow.

As I said taking care of curly hair can be time consuming, and it requires patience. But growing hair is not hard. It’s actually very simple and easy.

The secret key is to leave your hair alone.

Don’t bleach it, don’t dye it, don’t straighten it, don’t over wash it, don’t under wash it, don't use scrunchies and grip claws that damage and break your hair. Be gentle.

The secret to healthy hair is  **HYDRATION.**

**Curly hair must always be brushed only when wet. Do not brush your hair when it is dry. Please. This will damage your curls and hair shaft.**

My Hair Tips:

1. Use the correct brushes. But really just please brush your hair gently no matter what brush you have.  But I do have a few different brushes that I use that I think all have their different pros.
2.   Wooden brushes - I like to brush when my hair is straight on dry hair.
3. Boar bristle brushes - Have compact bristles which I think is good for styling. I place leave in conditioner on a selection of hair brush it and then curl my hair around my fingers and slowly uncurl it down.
4. A wet brush for the shower, that is open and doses have a pillow like boar bristles and wooden brushed. These can dry quickly  and won't have mould grow inside the cushion if kept in the shower. Remember this is all about minimising breakage.
5. I stay away from anything plastic, plastic claw clips that pull and tug on your hair. Hair bands that are thin and have the metal on them. I use scrunchies as they are gentle.  Satin, silk or velvet.
6. Use heat protection if you straighten your hair, blow outs or use a diffuser ,  finish it off by adding a light oil to the ends of your hair to keep it hydrated. But of course stay away from heat. Whenever I  straighten my hair and wash day arrives,  I ALWAYS deep condition my hair with a conditioner mask or coconut oil for an hour. I have a heated cap that helps warm my hair and scalp to deep condition. Deep conditioning is amazing and a must for hydrated ends. Remember Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! And I try not to straighten it again for another month or so. (It’s a struggle)
7. Use scrunchies for minimising damage.Satin, silk or velvet.
8. After washing I use a Brazilian curly hair leave in conditioner that I use to style my hair. I have put a picture up. After I diffuse , I apply oil to the ends of my hair. and again before bed.
9. Keep your scalp clean. A lot of people say not to wash your hair frequently and leave it without washing, which I understand why. Your hair is at its most fragile state when wet. Also when you style and curly your hair you can break and damage the hair shaft by pulling and tugging.  But I do think that  it’s important to have a clean scalp. I try to keep a style for 2 days without washing or making my hair wet but dosent always work and I need to wet it and I dont necessarily wash it. I just wet it and apply conditioner - but this again can build product build up so wash properly after 2/3 days.
10. ALWAYS brush from the ends up.
11. I am still figuring out a sleep routine and how to protect my hair when I sleep but I found that putting your hair in a bonnet loose works well. Again what works for you.

I  also want to put a huge emphasis on **BRAZILIAN CURLY HAIR PRODUCTS** ! Majority of Brazilian women have beautiful long curly hair. I promise you! this is someone thing a lot pf people miss. Research into the best brazilian curly hair products. I have added an image of which one I use.

Good luck!


Like a lot of people with looser curls I really struggle to get definition at my roots. I’ve tried clips at the roots, finger curling up to the roots, plopping, etc. Plopping seems to work the best for me but the top 2-4 inches of my hair still lay flat! I don’t know if a curly cut would look good, or if my hair’s even long enough to be weighed down. I also really love my face framing pieces because finger rolling them is really fun and I think it turns out looking cute, so I’d be sad if they were cut shorter. But I do really want to add definition to the roots of my hair!

Would a curly cut work on my hair type?


1. Have an ex who worked at Cosmoprof
2. Detangle the heck out of hair with a wide tooth comb and a denman
3. Wash with Matrix's Curl Can Dream shampoo
4. Hop out of shower and rake a quarter size blob of curl wow coco-motion lubricating conditioner and a dime size blob of keratisk intensive smoothing mask
5. Wait around for 10 minutes
6. Wash it out with lukewarm water, rake about a little over a dime size blob of Matrix's Curl Can Dream moisturizing cream (more will be added a little later)
7. LOOSELY plop an old T-shirt around hair and dry it off a smidge.
8. Put hair up, sectioned, and applied Got2B invincible gel in loose bits before finger coiling
9. Make your arms go numb while finger coiling and holding your hair up because you don't have any clips or ties in your house for some reason????
10. Switch between adding more moisturizing cream, water, and gel to hair/hands as needed
11. Only way to hair dry is to air dry
12. Profit

This is the best my hairs looked in a FAT minute!!!! I'm glad I took the plunge with finger coiling. Wasn't as hard or time consuming as I thought (I was told expect 2-4 hours). At first I  thought the strands I made were too small but I think they look great! I have 4 clips on the way and I'm so stoked to keep doing this!

I finally tried finger coiling! 0 regrets!!!!!


I’m going to get my hair cut tomorrow at Great Clips. I know it’s not the best place to go but I don’t have a lot of money to spend on a haircut right now. How would y’all suggest I get it cut? I know the ends need to go because they’re heat damaged and split. I would like to keep it long but I’m not opposed to some long layers. I straighten my hair most of the time but I would love to learn how to wear it natural. Any suggestions or tips are welcome!

Haircut help


I always pull my hair up in a bun or pony tail with a silk scrunchy. Got told recently this is my hair looked so bad in the back when I put it down (my sister tells it like it is lol). What are you using to pull back your hair? Butterfly clips? Scrunches? Those bands that look like old telephone cords?

What are your best curl friendly hair clips, scrunches, etc?