Hiya!  I’m the only curly in my family and I am trying to learn how to best manage and work with my hair,  but I’m struggling to get the results I want. I know that there are looks that would never work for my hair because it’s just not my curl type or something my hair can do naturally and I am perfectly okay with that! I am self taught and self learning (thanks reddit) so ALL INFO is VERY WELCOME EVEN IF it’s not exactly about what I am asking. I know i should read all the wikis in all the curly groups but my ADHD makes it difficult.

I do not follow the Curly Girl Method so ALL PRODUCTS EXCEPT anything with LAVENDER as I am allergic, or any form of WHEAT/GLUTEN in the ingredients are welcomed and ALL other suggestions (even CGM) are on the table. Tips that have made things easier or you wish you knew are welcome as well.  Please lay ‘em all on me.

Hair info:

I have just below hip length hair and I know the length can weigh curls down, I may be getting a curly cut soon but will keep most of my length. When my hair is short (from 1” to shoulder blades) it is in tight ringlets, airdried. I can have/get ringlets at this length but they often fall or are very loose. I haven’t been able to keep them all day or if I can, they are never there second day, especially my bottom layer which loses curl fast. As a child I had this length hair and it was in medium sized ringlets instead of super tight. I  do understand that your hair can change over time and what it used to be is not always how it is now. I try to keep that in mind.

In a pony tail, if you take your hands and make a circle with your thumb and index finger thats my hair thickness when it’s “thin” and bushed out, larger when my hair is done. I am a white woman with Irish and German heritage. Not sure if any of that is important at all but extra info.

I have recently gotten a diffuser, i didnt realize how important it was for a cast until I did, I used to get so upset that no gel created a cast when I was air drying my hair, honestly I’m still learning, making mistakes, and still consider myself a newbie to all this. I know i need to use gel to get that cast, I am working on figuring you out how much and what gel works best for me. (Q bellow) It’s crazy comparing the time I spend diffusing to letting my hair air dry, it takes HOURS at this length and thickness to airdry. I’m now hooked on diffusing. Also all the stressing on getting a cast just from a lack of knowledge and how silly I felt that the little addition to my routine was what was missing. All that frustration, it made me just laugh now.

My routine both wash and diffusing are bellow, night care, and specific Q’s are at the bottom sectioned into what they are asking about.

1)My wash routine:

\+Wash with As I Am Pom shampoo on my roots and length, use scalp scrubby thing to make sure all my roots get covered. I allow to sit a little and once a month or so I clarify with Suave clarifying shampoo. (Q bellow)

\+Apply conditioner (currently using the yellow skala and I LOVE it) and scrunch in all ways. Head up, head bent to the sides, head down and scrunch upward, etc then put in top knot while I do the rest of my showering.

\+Often I brush my hair with the conditioner to make sure my hair is saturated.

\+Rinse conditioner, wring out some water, and add leave in (Miele Pom) and curl cream (Marc Anthony yellow bottle) in sections from nape to top.

\+I occasionally will also brush this too but have noticed that it disrupts my natural wet curls.

\+Scrunch schrunch scrunch

\+Plop in microfiber towel (Q bellow)

\+Scrunch with same towel after doing skin care

\*STEP OFTEN DONE AT A DIFFERENT TIME\* Apply gel  (got2be) and (sometimes mouse, mouse def, as well) to all of my hair in praying hands, and try to get it evenly throughout my hair, i do this in sections a lot. Working nape to crown. (Q bellow)

\+ Scrunch scrunch scrunch

2)How I diffuse:

\+I use a “universal diffuser” idk if that’s the specific type or what not. (Q bellow, amazon doesnt let em check past orders, dumb glitch)

\+I often forget this step but I like to hover diffuse my roots to get some volume and because my roots tend not to dry when I forget this step and I ADORE when my hair has lots and lots of volume. (Q bellow)

 \+I start at the nape of my neck and work in roughly inch thick thick sections upward and around the skull. I am working on sectioning/diffusing side, back, side, but have had some issues with the sections behind my head, or not realizing at the sides I took from the back. I know this throws my curls off, I am still learning. This is sometimes where I add gel to my hair in each section i am working on  right before diffusion.

\+I scrunch my hair and squish it to get all the water/product evenly throughout my hair and for my curls to be curlier as my wet hair and gravity can pull my curl clumps downward (I do brush product through most washes in the shower, lmk if i should skip this). I am unsure if my products are too heavy or it’s just gravity

\+I then place the scrunched up hair (pixie?) onto the diffuser in a kinda ball shape and sometimes move the hair so it is covering more area on the diffuser. I use a heat protectant spray before and med heat, might be switching to cool air though as I know that’s recommended. I dry each section until I think that is it mostly dry, i have noticed less dry = less curl. This often gives me curls and a cast if I use enough gel, but I’m not always getting a cast. (Learning I need A LOT of gel, recs welcome)

\+As I work my way up, I have my wet hair clippped on the top of my head, I clip the dry hair at the root together(I have very thick hair) as i work on sections going up and forward, if I don’t, the wet hair and the dry parts mix together and I don’t want to have extra heat on dry hair if it can be avoided. (Q bellow)

\+If the upper layers have dried too much (another reason I think gel in sections might be best option) I mist them with a spray bottle and scrunch scrunch scrunch before diffusing. (Q bellow)

\+I try to have the hair closest to my face done in their own sections than the rest of my hair but also (pixie?) diffuse this section and it tends to be the curliest, it is shortest so makes sense.

Q’s:

Washing Q’s:

\+What’s a good clarifying shampoo that isn’t super expensive but wont feel like my hair is fried? Should I clarify every 2 weeks or once a month? How exactly does it get the product out? What is a good thing to look for in a good clarifying shampoo?

\+Should I be applying the mousse in the shower with my other leave ins or should it be on dryer hair, like post plop/microfiber scrunch?

\+How do I apply products into my wet hair I’ve wrung/scrunched water out of without disrupting my curls? If I brush they dont always go back to ringlets, but I have been using s detangler instead of wide tooth. Last wash I tried to avoid brushing leave in products through because of this.

Leave in product Q’s:

\+Should I try to scrunch the products in, like start at tips and work up the hair shaft to the root? Do i do this like a normal scrunch or like do i apply it by like gripping the hair as I work upward? I always feel it’s unevenly distributed but that could just be just my minds saying, plus i do scrunch loads all through my routine, maybe too much. I would be doing this is hair sections as i normally would, like how i section to diffuse.

\+After applying leave in products at the end of my shower to wet hair (slightly wrung/water hand scrunched mostly out) I feel if I scrunch my hair with my microfiber towel it will be taking the product off my hair more than getting the water out of my hair. Is this thought accurate? How long should I wait before using my microfiber towel?

\+Is there an amount of time my hair should have the leave in products in before diffusing?

Gel Q’s:

\+What exactly should I be looking for in a gel for my curly hair? I am pretty sure i need a very strong one (hence my experiment currently with Got2Be gel), one that holds the curls, and does a hard cast. I do have a few different gels I have tried in the past, before I diffused, that I’m going to retry but what gels do you recommend/use? Is homemade flaxseed gel something I should try or is it a gimmick?

\+Should I be applying my gel (and/or mousse) in the shower along with the leave ins or is it better to do it on more dry hair/closer to diffusing?

\+After plopping, how wet should my hair be when applying gel if the application is done after right before diffusing?

\+Should I be misting dryer sections before I add in the gel right before diffusing when applying gel in sections indivivually? I sometimes just do this with the top section regardless of gel to squish all product through a last time before diffusing to encourage my curls and so it dries from diffuser not air.

\+Are there forms of gel that are in a spray that has good hold?

\+Is there an amount of time my hair should have the gel in it prediffuse to let it sink into my hair or similar?

\+++If I mist water into my hair with gel in it already but on its way to drying does the gel become like when it is applied or is it drying and already forming the cast even though it is has been rewet? Is this different with different gels?

\+After applying gel should I comb through my hair? I use a detangler or wide tooth in the shower with my other products. Ringlets/curl disruption is also possible here.

Diffusing Q’s:

\+Is diffuser type important? I know there’s a couple of kinds, like I’ve seen a mention and an amazon ad for a “finger diffuser”. What is the differences between the types, what types work best for what, and how do i know the proper type for my hair?

\+How do I get the MOST volume I can while diffusing my hair?

\+Roughly how long should I have my hair sections on the diffuser? (Reminder: hip length)

\+When diffusing is clipping dry hair at the root with a duck clip or mini claw clip an issue? What’s a good alternative? How do you avoid wet and dry hair mixing?

\+Is there a different way I should be putting my hair on the diffuser?  Should I like dangle my hair and put end on my diffuser and lift the diffuser towards my scalp and pixie this way?  I have been kinda doing that in my hands when i do my last scrunch/squish of my hair before putting it on the diffuser. I did the lift method before but dont remember the results, this method is a bit tricky with my hair length, but practice. Any tips or info VERY welcome on this my curls are not cohesive, I am out of depth with this. Used to my hair being wild and doing whatever the fuck it wants.

Sleep:

\+Should I be sleeping in a long bonnets instead of getting all my curls in a mushroom one? Idk if that description makes senses to anyone. Basically a normal double layer bonnet but I tend to get the XL ones for room and volume. Would a smaller bonnet be more beneficial? I don’t braid my hair or twist it into a bun, I lightly fold my hair sometimes to get it into the bonnet then shake it out inside kind of.

\+How exactly do I pineapple? I have some silk scarves I like to put my hair in as a change up from bonnets. Whats the best way you’ve used with a scarf to keep your hair up/protected? What about wearing a silk scarf out the house? (I live in my bonnet so I kinda wanna switch to scarfs when I go out because, well people where Iive, dont take to kindlyjudgey af to bonnets outside, way diff from my old home)

\+I use a silk pillowcase, is there anything else I can be doing at night to protect my curls/help my hair?

\+Are there protective styles that could help keep my curls while I sleep? Or even just are a protective way to have my hair in my sleep? With or without bonnet.

Help with diffusing + some other Q’s (long)


Hey - so I recently started strength training 4-5 times a week and I’m finding it hard to adjust my hair routine. While I shower everyday, I don’t wash my hair everyday (gross I know but like …. ) but wash it twice a week and style as usual. Thing is it’s starting to feel counterproductive going through an extensive hair routine if I’m just going to put it up in a bun and sweat my scalp off which inevitably ruins the curls. At the same time, on day 1 of my routine when the curls are looking plump and juicy, I feel discouraged to workout cuz I don’t want to ruin the curls -./

Perhaps I should be washing my hair everyday and just having to style it everyday? I typically workout at night.

Routine: My hair Type 3a and 3b curls ; Head & shoulders shampoo + boucleme conditioner; Sol de Janeiro leave in conditioner and boucleme strong hold gel; I usually shower at night so I will plop overnight and air dry the next day or diffuse if needed. I use a silk bonnet at night and my curls usually last 3 days before the claw clip comes out.

Any advice would be *chefs kiss*

Hair care as a regular gym goer


Routine: I use an ogx biotin and collagen shampoo with a coconut oil conditioner. Afterwards, I spray on regular heat protectant, hair oil, and scrunch/brush in not your mothers curl talk mousse, gel, and curl cream. Usually I just part my hair, use the bounce curls brush and let it half air dry before diffusing, but it barely lasts a day and loses volume overnight.

I used to wear a bonnet to bed but now I just claw clip it into a bun, so that might be the reason. I also don't refresh my hair. I have 2b-3a hair. Half of its wavy and the other half kinda coils? What products would help keep volume and prevent frizz?

What products/routine should I use on my hair?


Routine:
Creightons Professional Cleanse & Refresh Shampoo 500ml | Clarifying Salicylic Acid & Rosemary for Scalp Detox £4-4.50

  Astonish Tropical Conditioner with Argan Oil, 375ml, £1

Kinky-Curly Natural Leave-In Detangler (Knot Today) 8 Ounces (236 Ml) - £\~13,

Schwarzkopf Mousse Volume 200ml, Hold Level 4 £4.50,

Alberto Balsam Ultra Strong Gel, 200 ml £0.75

I know my hair isn't perfect! Tips appreciated.

I use a claw clip at night, but I don't really know how else to try and protect it.

I don't do a refresh routine yet but I'm sure I could make something work with "SHEA MOISTURE Manuka Honey & Yoghurt leave in" because it's got a spray applicator. But I'm happy to take alternatives 💕

Hair is looking better than usual, thanks to mousse and gel 💕💕


Routine:

1. California Naturals Dream Curl Shampoo

2. California Naturals Dream Curl Conditioner (leave in for a few minutes AND squish to condish after the few minutes!)

3. California Naturals Dream Curl Cream — Glaze through my hair is saturated inside the shower after rinsing out conditioner

4.. Ouidad OR RIzos Curls OR Biosilk Harder Hold Gel — Glaze

5.. Scrunch upside down to form clumps

6. Microplop with a cotton t-shirt

7. Air dry for 15 minutes

8. Hover diffuse for about 7-8  minutes (2 straight, 2 tilted to right, 2 tilted to left, rest upside down)

9. Pixie diffuse for 30 seconds per section

10. Claw clip

11. Scrunch when dry w/ Amika Styling Oil in the morning

For refreshing (day 2 onwards),  spray 3/4 cup water + 1 tbsp kinky curly knot today mix onto flat sections and scrunch, wait until dry and scrunch again.

I used to use CeraVe shampoo and conditioner and Curls Blueberry Bliss leave-in but since swapping these 3 products I’ve seen a big difference!

I'm really happy with how this day 3 turned out!


What might be going wrong? Any advice is welcome :)

Routine:
Pic one- Dove intense repair shampoo and Dove Beautiful curls hair mask, Arata Curl cream and gel
Pic two- Dove intense repair shampoo and conditioner,Dove peptide leave in cream and Schwarzkopf Taft mousse

Both the pictures I have air dried my hair. I apply the stylers on soaking wet hair upside down, just brush it all together and scrunch it and plop it with a tshirt. I do not use bonnet or silk pillow case. I either put it in a loose braid or loosely tie all my hair up using a claw clip.

Should I treat my hair like curly or wavy?


Hair is fine low density and high porosity. Any tips to get this to last longer or is it true that waves never look good on day two? Photo 1 is today, photo 2 is when I don't gel again during diffusing, however my hair only lasts a few hours if I do that, and photo 3 is my day 2 hair.
For sleep I use the scarf method with a silk bonnet over top. I'm a rough sleeper.

My routine:
Shampoo: BB Anti Frizz Shampoo
Conditioner: L'Oreal Glycolic Gloss however today I conditioned with Cer-100 Collagen Mask
Volume Spray: Umberto Giannini Texture Boost
Leave in: Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Shine
Foam: Umberto Giannini Curl Foam
Gel: Dippity Do Girls with Curls (I plan to try Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly when I run out of this as I've heard good things)
Oil: Suavecita Silkening serum

What I did today after showering:
Soaking wet I sectioned and added leave in conditioner, then foam to each section and then I section styled with a knock off bounce curl brush, scrunched, and then prayer hand/scrunch in gel.

After that I lifted random sections and sprayed texture spray.

Usually I plop with a t-shirt and then diffuse, however today I had time so I hover diffused and then pixie diffused upside down and side to side until 60% dry and then prayer handed MORE gel.

Diffuse again until 90% dry and clipped up the crown with claw clip until completely air dry. Then I clapped in oil and scrunch.

This will last one day. Half a day if I go outside. I live in Qatar and wind/humidity kills my waves, however the upside is I can throw a pashmina on when I go outside to protect them but this kills my volume on the crown because I have low density.

I know it sounds like a lot of product but I've tried less is more with each product ie. Only leave in conditioner or paired with foam or gel, or only foam or paired with gel, or only gel. That never gets my waves to wave like this. I usually have to use all 3. Air dry cream doesn't work.

I hate that I can only get my wavy hair to look like this for a day 😭


routine:

part my hair in 3 sections (bottom to top) and brush styled each section with a tangle teezer. I use not your mothers hair gel paired with the cream on wet hair. I add mousse to each section as I go. Once I reach the top section I clip my roots with claw clips and air dry. I basically use not your mothers for everything like shampoo, conditioner, mousse, cream.

tried more volume today


Looking for haircut recommendations, went from straight across hair I'd always put up in a claw clip to layers, but the top of my head is still just as flat even though a lot of weight was removed and the hair is still drowning me
My routine: Air dryed hair, products in my hair are Balea shampoo and balea leave in hair mask and a little bit of the balea curly gel, basically the stuff I can buy in DM, my pillow covers are cotton, I tried the silk ones but I wasn't a fan of the feel

Layers didn't help and one side is visibly straighter :/ haircut recommendations?


so i posted a couple of months ago asking for help and i never anyone so here it is (6 months later lol)
one problem i do have is my curls aren't very fluffy, they kinda separate into smaller curls and idk how to fix that

here's my routine (low porosity, thin hair, but i have way too much of it) :

i started using castor oil (i know a lot of people say it's trash but for me it works great, i mix it with jojoba and rosemary oil, and my hair drastically falls out and breaks less) and i let it marinate in my hair for like 6 hours while i do my uni work
i also use some science bonding hair mask from kruidvat which was like 4 euros i think and i let that marinate too
i brush my hair with a wooden comb for a bit to spread everything around
then when it comes time to shower i wash my hair twice with the curl jelly washed sampoo from umberto giannini and then i put on the curl jelly care conditioner and let it sit in my hair while i wash the rest of my body
i wash it out and i step out of the shower
i section my hair in 3 parts: 2 in the back and one for the top of my head (i have an undercut on the sides so i don't need to section that lol)
i start with the back, i have a water bottle spray thing with salt water in it so i make my hair SOAAKINGG wet and i:
-add heat protector from etos
-leave in conditioner from kruidvat
-rake that through my hair evenly
-then i add curl jelly gel and mousse
-rake and scrunch
-gel again but a bit less
-scrunch
-twisty bun thing
-bobby pin

then repeat for the other sections execept i don't do a bun on the top
i wrap a tshirt on my head and i let it sit for 10 minutes ish

i take it off and i dry my hair in sections

back first, roots first, then directly diffusing so my hair shrinks more because the curls on the back of my head are much weaker so if i set the gel cast first by hovering they don't shrink enough and it looks weird
then when it's 100% dry i tie it in 2 buns

then the top
roots first, hovering, then diffusing then i claw clip it in place

then i put on my bonnet
the next morning i scrunch out the gel cast and clap my hair so it's a bit more fluffy amd frizzy and then i comb it with a wide tooth comb
optional: got2b hairspray
and my curls last for DAYSSSSS
and every night i tie it up in the same way and if something is wonky in the morning i just fix it strand by strand

update on my curls!!! + before and after


Hi everyone! Long time member of this sub but my first time posting.

 Firstly I wanna thank every single person that has submitted questions or victories because you've helped me learn what is possible with my curls. I grew up with a mom that had curly hair but gave herself blow outs and never showed me how to care for my curls. I mainly got my advice from magazines in the early 2000's 🤦♀ (iykyk) which ended up in me bleaching, straightening and not taking good care of my hair. I had scalp problems growing up but never knew how to correct or even paid attention to it.

So fast forward to now.... I've done two big chops, the curly girl method for a few years, and then stopped the CGM because it just.......didn't work for my hair type. My hair is interesting to take care of because while it's fine I have a lotttttttt of it. Most routines I do end in tears. I could never seem to get my hair shiny no matter what product or routine I was using or accomplish low-ish frizz (ofc some frizz is natural and I love it ).

My great great grandmother is 100% Cherokee Indian (I am a splitting image of my dad and grandma which are the descendants of my GG.) My dad has loads of fine curls. And then my grandparents on the other side are both Irish (my mom has natural red hair, curly yet course hair). So, as an adult I've set out to learn how to best care for my hair!

I've done it all. SOTC, praying hands, squish to condish, no leave in, yes leave in, gel, mousse, hair spray, cowash only.  Sometimes I'm happy for like 10 minutes and then my curls fall and I'm confused. Which I also don't mind because I can try so many different things and I never get bored. But it's never been the "AH! I did ittttt!" .... Until today. I finally found my routine and it feels so good! I knew I had to share in case anyone else was lost like I've been.

So here is my routine that got me this goddess like results:

Double cleanse (dove intense repair, NYM Mango butter), Condition with Dove 10-in-1 repair mask (leave on for 5 minutes while I shower), detangle with tangle teaser brush+ add water until I get seaweed level consistency..rinse, apply kinky curly knot today leave in and squish to condish..rinse out fully. Then I brush with tangle teaser a second time with my hair SOAKED and wrap into a low bun with a claw clip. To style post shower, I used a wiiiide tooth comb to form clumps, pulsed my curls up to my roots, let air dry for a few minutes then diffused until 100% dry. No product. I'm in awe.

I sleep with a satin pillowcase for protection. For refreshing I've just spritzed with water and pulsed my curls until I'm happy with them. I'm sure adding some leave in will happen tomorrow.

If you're still here with me I appreciate you!

My natural curls


Lots of people learn in this sub that you don't brush or detangle curly/wavy hair when dry. Lots of people ask, "then what do you do?"

The first picture was after I slept with my hair twisted up in a claw clip on top of my head overnight, showered with a shower cap, wore a towel headband for a while afterwards, then took my hair down.

For this after picture, I smoothed my hair back with my hands, twisted it into a claw clip, sprayed Tre Semme hair spray, and added some clips on the sides.

Routine: On Sunday I shampooed twice with L'Oreal Elvive Total Repair 5 shampoo, applied L'Oreal Elvive Total Repair 5 conditioner mid-lengths to ends, detangled wirh a wide-tooth comb, clipped up, let sit, washed body, then rinse. To style I applied L'Oreal Elvive Total Repair 5 leave-in conditioner mid-lengths to ends then Not Your Mother's gel. I micro plopped with a cotton t shirt, sprayed Tre Semme heat protectant spray, and blow dried with a diffuser on low speed and warm heat.

I slept with my hair in a loose pony tail on top of my head, showered with a shower cap Monday, took down, and refreshed with water. This post was my Tuesday look.

"What do you do when you don't brush your hair dry?"


(reposted to amend language) Hi there, please excuse the awkward mirror photo. Please help me find out if I’m doing anything wrong, or if I should just commit to a reset cut and start from 0. The first picture is from a few minutes before I made this post (literally day 1) and the second picture is a recent image of my hair from behind after a long day outside. Note that it was very flat and had no volume.

I’ve been using the following routine for about a month now, and this is about the most defined my hair has looked in years. I know it could be better, and I want to gain the confidence to wear my hair down all the time.

My current routine is

1. L’Oréal elvive hyaluron+pump shampoo and conditioner, plus Malibu C hard water shampoo and conditioner as needed (I live in an area with hardddd water)

2. Pillow soft curls from Miss Jessie’s raked through, cupped, then scrunched with plenty of water.

3. Camille Rose Curlmaker Jelly glazed on with very light squeeze.

4. Remove excess water w cotton tshirt and air dry, with claw clip on top for a little volume and to keep scalp dry.

5. Low tension hairstyles always.

I get a trim every six months, have my hair in layers, and my hair is on the healthy end (ie no split ends). Though, it is low porosity, feels very coarse, and as I’ve found out, gets weighed down easy. Mousse leaves my hair oily and with a strange texture so I don’t tend to use it.

Recently, I’ve begun waking up with a head full of 2c ish curls that immediately fall down and turn flat the second I step outside of my bedroom.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Been trying wavy hair routines…


Hi there, please excuse the awkward mirror photo. Please help me find out if I’m doing anything wrong, or if I should just commit to the big chop and start from 0. The first picture is from a few minutes before I made this post (literally day 1 curls) and the second picture is a recent image of my hair from behind after a long day outside.

I’ve been using the following routine for about a month now, and this is about the most defined my hair has looked in years. I know it could be better, and I want to gain the confidence to wear my hair down all the time.

My current routine is

1. L’Oréal elvive hyaluron+pump shampoo and conditioner, plus Malibu C hard water shampoo and conditioner as needed (I live in an area with hardddd water)

2. Pillow soft curls from Miss Jessie’s raked through, cupped, then scrunched with plenty of water.

3. Camille Rose Curlmaker Jelly glazed on with very light squeeze.

4. Remove excess water w cotton tshirt and air dry, with claw clip on top for a little volume and to keep scalp dry.

5. Low tension hairstyles always.

I get a trim every six months, have my hair in layers, and my hair is on the healthy end (ie no split ends). Though, it is low porosity, feels very coarse, and as I’ve found out, gets weighed down easy. Mousse leaves my hair oily and with a strange texture so I don’t tend to use it.

Recently, I’ve begun waking up with a head full of 2c ish curls that immediately fall down and turn flat the second I step outside of my bedroom.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Been trying wavy hair routines…


Hey, just reaching out to this community to see if there’s other people in my situation who might have advice. I’m disabled and have a hard time keeping my arms above my head; it can make me pass out, and my shoulders and elbows tend to sublux really, really easily afterwards. So for forever I’ve styled my hair upside down. Shower with my head over, put products in like that, diffuse like that. However, I have a crazy cowlick at the back of my head, literally right down the middle, and this way of styling emphasizes it so much. I know it’s the back of my head so it’s not my business, but I have been able to style upright on occasion and it is much less prominent. Does anyone else have similar physical limitations and any tips and tricks? I’m also of course down for anyone to make suggestions, I appreciate it all.

Secondly, I just was wondering about curl upkeep while being disabled. I can’t usually get more than day one hair, so day two I put it in a claw clip and then actually sleep with it in a claw clip (i also use a silk pillowcase) until my next shower. This keeps my hair curly in the claw clip, but I absolutely can’t put it back down. But I can usually only shower twice a week, so also wondering if anyone has any advice for me in this regard. Also with keeping hair from getting dry, I don’t know if I should try refreshing on day two? It’s probably a good idea, I just don’t know how it’d fit into my physical ability for the week.

Thanks for anything and sorry for the wall of text, I think I’m allergic to being concise lmao.

Routine so it will let me post:

Wash with Suave Rosemary and Mint shampoo

Condition with Garnier Honey Treasures conditioner (squish to condish)

Get hair soaking, dripping wet before styling, squish to condish for basically all products

Use Ouidad Vitacurl strong hold gel or Advanced Climate Control strong hold gel (depending on the season)

Use Pantene Volume mousse on my roots and the Curl Shaping mousse on the body of my hair

Apply Garnier Hair Honey Milk (heat shield)

Diffuse until \~80% dry, then spray with Herbal Essences hairspray

Diffuse the hairspray into my hair til dry

Apply Garnier Moroccan Sleek oil, shake my roots and flip my hair up, then manipulate the curls a bit to at least disguise the cowlick a bit

Curl Styling & Upkeep As a Disabled Person


Routine and all at bottom

If you remember me from a previous post (linked here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/curlyhair/s/TZAwWT7pOt )

I ditched the gel and went for a mousse, switch to a conditioner that doesn’t have any protein, made the effort to dry my hair at night, and cut an inch of my ends  it really has helped so much. I know i’m not technically a curly girl (the wavy hair subreddit would not let me even ask questions because I “have fake waves created by sleeping with my hair damp and other things”) so thank you all for helping a wavy hair gal like me.

Fine to medium hair, Medium porosity

Prone to oily scalp, 2A-2C

My routine:

Shampoo: Redken Volume shampoo, Verb density shampoo (Swap them out) Conditioner: Maui moisture lightweight curls

Products: NYM curl talk mousse, scrunch it in

Shampoo sometimes twice, conditioner mids to ends, do a loose plop with a claw clip and dry with a dryer/ dryer attachment. Sleep with my hair in a claw clip on top of my head, or in a bonnet.

UPDATE/ HAIR WIN


Hello! Since having children, my hair went from strong waves with many spirals mixed in to progressively becoming weaker and weaker waves and looking more dried out and frizzy. I was wearing it in a bun constantly

Since 2/28 this has been my new regimen:

\-I no longer wear it up with hair ties. AT ALL. It either stays down or I use a large claw clip to reduce tension

\-I now wash only 2x a week. This is my wash routine:

Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Shampoo

Not your mother’s curl talk conditioner

brush in the shower while the conditioner is in

When out of the shower:

Ouidad moisture lock leave in

NYM curl talk sculpting gel

Verb ghost oil

I apply these with my hair soaking wet scrunching and then leave it completely alone to air dry.

I apply curl talk gel and verb between wash days

I can already see a difference, and I’m very excited! But I’m open to feedback on anything I should be changing to bring my hair back to life

Tips to further improve wage structure & hopefully bring back more of the spirals I used to have pre-children?


Two years ago I had enough of straigthening my hair every day for 8 years straight, so I started to try taking care of my curls not just frying them off each day. As you can see, it was pretty chopped in the beginning, but you also have to remember if you killed your curls like me, even if you have the perfect routine, magic wont happen overnight.

Here’s my routine currently: I use some kind of hydrating shampoo, right now I just have to use up the Hask curl care shampoo which I honestly do not recommend that much, but I also dont like wasting products😅 I use then Bali Curls conditioner and deep care hair mask which I both love. After getting out of the shower I brush my hair once then apply a tiny amount of Bali curls curl cream (my hair cant take much more) then lather Taft volume mousse pretty generously everywhere on my hair. Only then I start scrunching, first with my hands and then with a cotton tshirt. Usually I just let my hair airdry after that and scrunch out the crunchy cast with Langhaaremädchen hair oil (I love it so much, its super cheap and available at DM). For the night I just put my hair up in a pineapple with a satin scrunchie, and in the morning I just like to rewet it with a water spray bottle and thats it:)

I hope I could inspire some who are just starting out with their curly journey💫

My 2 year curly hair transformation🥹


Healthy curly hair journey from 06/2025 to present day 07/2026 😮💨 it’s so low maintenance now.
Didn’t think it could look this way!

\*\*Current hair routine:

Wash routine:
I wash my hair every other day with L’Oréal Elvive dream lengths shampoo and conditioner, I use Kristin ess clarifying shampoo once a week and a Dove hair mask once or twice a week depending how dry my hair feels.

Styling:
I use TGIN rose water curl refresher spray and Mielle brand mousse on wet hair and let it air dry. I also use the same products to refresh my hair the next day, I do not use plain water to refresh curls as I find it leaves a smell.
Updos:
eco styler gel on slick back hair style days and it has to be the flax seed or argan oil one with scrunchie or no breakage hair ties.

One year progress!


Hi! This is currently what my hair looks like - I’ve had more blunt/less layered cuts in the past but the texture issues are largely the same. I generally like how my hair looks in casual situations, but I’m not sure how to make it look more polished for professional or formal settings- I have this layer of frizz everywhere that just looks messy and I don’t love to straighten my hair or look good with it slicked back. Right now my routine is Amika volumizing shampoo and conditioner, Kristen ess ultra light curl cream with damp hair before diffusing or letting it air dry, and olaplex bonding oil after it is dry to try and manage the frizz (doesn’t really work). Most curl products I’ve tried tend to weigh my hair down significantly and make it look pretty wet/greasy/dirty but I don’t love the Kristen Ess one either. I love how the Amika conditioner makes my hair feel but maybe the volumizing is contributing to the problem? I wash my hair 2-3 times a week and never sleep with it wet- usually in a loose scrunchie. How are you guys with similarly wavy hair getting yourselves to look like you don’t have a single hair out of place? I’m jealous and I want to learn your ways.

How to deal with persistent frizz and make my waves look more polished?


Hi! This is currently what my hair looks like - I’ve had more blunt/less layered cuts in the past but the texture issues are largely the same. I generally like how my hair looks in casual situations, but I’m not sure how to make it look more polished for professional or formal settings- I have this layer of frizz everywhere that just looks messy or like I didn’t try to make it look nice. I don’t love to straighten my hair or look good with it slicked back. Right now my routine is Amika volumizing shampoo and conditioner, Kristen ess ultra light curl cream with damp hair before diffusing or letting it air dry, and olaplex bonding oil after it is dry to try and manage the frizz (doesn’t really work). Most curl products I’ve tried tend to weigh my hair down significantly and make it look pretty wet/greasy/dirty but I don’t love the Kristen Ess one either. I love how the Amika conditioner makes my hair feel but maybe the volumizing is contributing to the problem? I wash my hair 2-3 times a week and never sleep with it wet- I sleep with it in a loose scrunchie and sometimes apply a drop more oil the next day. How are you guys with similarly wavy hair getting yourselves to look like you don’t have a single hair out of place? I’m jealous and I want to learn your ways.

How to reduce frizz/make my wavy hair look more presentable and polished?


I always thought my hair looked better when I blow dried it and had layers, but it was high maintenance and sooo damaged.
Now that it’s healthy, I don’t feel like it suits my face as much. I also look heavier.
Idk! I wish it worked better for me.

**Current hair routine:**

I wash my hair every other day with L’Oréal Elvive dream lengths shampoo and conditioner, I use Kristin ess clarifying shampoo once a week and a dove hair mask once or twice a week depending how dry my hair feels.
I use IGFN rose water detangling curl spray and Mielle brand mousse on wet hair and let it air dry.
I use eco styler gel on slick back hair style days and it has to be the flax seed or argan oil one with scrunchie or no breakage hair ties.

Hair transformation


my routine- i use pharm to table curl growth castor curl boosting shampoo, curlsmith hydrating conditioner, while my hair is wet i brush it out and then use curlsmith hydro style flex jelly and scrunch my hair. after that i blow dry it with a diffuser and setting on low until it’s mostly dry. i use satin pillow cases and put my hair up in a high bun with a satin scrunchie.

please help! my mom has very straight hair and i grew up not knowing how to take care of my hair, as im sure a lot of others have as well. now as an adult ive learned more on how to take care of my hair but i still need help!! this frizz is always there, usually it’s on both sides (and i assume back lol). it’s like i have a thin layer of frizz on top of my hair constantly:/ i would greatly appreciate any help or recommendations!! thank you!!

(also can anyone tell me my curl type?)

How do i fix this frizz?


forgive me for the drawing but it’s the best way i can show what i mean, ever since cutting my hair into a bob, the 2 side bits of my hair have suddenly sprung up and become 2x curlier than the rest of my hair, so now while the rest of my hair is even, these 2 bits are much shorter and it looks like i’m wearing a curly wig ontop of my hair!! 😭 my hair is naturally a looser curl but some bits of my hair are way curlier than others, such as these 2 bits. is there anything I can do to make these less curly? so that it all looks the same length??

my routine:
for shampoo & conditioner i use the garner curl range and sometimes the umberto gianini line.

For styling i use all umberto gianini: cream, gel & mousse. I also use a dupe of the bounce curl brush but i find that any styling brush doesn’t really work on these 2 bits they are very tight curls

I always diffuse and for sleeping i put my hair into a loose pony tail using a silk scrunchie alongside satin pillow case!

what to do with uneven curly bob


i’m genuinely just a rough sleeper and my hair ends up falling off and practically unsavable, and i end up completely rewetting my hair and typing it in a bun all week :(

\- 2c 3a -3b curls
\- high porosity, thick hair
\- bleached VERY blonde moneypieces with half head copper highlights
\- shoulder length shag with extremely short layers and bangs

solutions i’ve tried have been:
silk bonnet, satin bonnet, silk bonnet with jersey or cotton band, tying bonnets with the bow, silk scarf bonnet, layering a scarf and bonnet, pineappling my hair with a silk scrunchie, bobby pinning my scarf and or bonnet from ALL SIDES, clipping in the bonnet or scarf from the sides

any and all suggestions appreciated, from techniques and tips to new bonnet recs

more hair information if needed —
my hair routine varies every time because i’m doing treatments, masks, colour depositing products and dandruff products but i use a rotation of products from:

aveda curly shampoo conditioner, olaplex3, color depositing shampoo and nizoral for dandruff(very drying), schwartzkopf treatment mask, k18 mask heat protectant, amika mousse, oribe curl gloss, colorsence gel

come to my rescue: bonnets falling off


New to realising my hair is wavy and after advice please! I've been doing a bit of trial and error with my routine and this is my current routine:

**Washing**

1. Shampoo: Umberto Giannini Dreamy Waves shampoo - use scalp massager to massage in, then rinse

2. Same shampoo as above but do it with fingers and head tipped upside down this time, scrunch hair before rinsing

3. Conditioner: Umberto Giannini Dreamy Waves conditioner - apply to hear with head tipped upside down - use wet brush to detangle, scrunch hair, then rinse

\*\* According to AI, I should still use the Olaplex bonding shampoo and conditioner every few washes as my hair is dyed, so I plan on doing that.

4. Tip head upside down and scrunch hair again

**Drying**

5. Once out of shower, slightly towel dry hair using scrunching technique

5. Apply Olaplex leave-in conditioner and scrunch

6. Apply Umberto Giannini wavy whip mousse and scrunch

7. Plop hair on top of head and use a hair wrap towel to hold in place

8. Take off after 30 mins

9. Leave to air-dry - and once dry, scrunch out the crunch of the mousse

10. Apply Olaplex bonding oil and scrunch

**At night**

\- Use a scrunchie to tie hair up in a very lose and high ponytail

**Next day**

\- Use Umberto Giannini Curl Jelly Refresh Curl Reviving Spray and scrunch

**Thoughts**

I think I need to use a different product on the refresh days. As you can see from the photos, my hair doesn't look as good on day 2 as it does on wash day. Anyone have any ideas of what I could change?

[](https://www.umbertogiannini.com/)

Advice please on refreshing waves!


My hair gets very dry after the day of hair wash, and i have to comb and oil it so it doesn't get damaged. And my hair also gets really frizzy and rough if it's it anything other than braid or a bun and i get spilt ends a lot, even after a trim.

My current routine-
i shampoo twice with imxia plus
I condition with loreal paris hyaluron moisture
I use fix my curls leave in and hair gel after untangling hair while its soaking wet, and i just scrunch for definition
Then i let it air dry or wrap a cotton t shirt around my head for a while

I use silk pillow case, and i tried putting my hair in a braid or a really high bun like yk on the top of your head and tie it lightly with a scrunchie but no matter what i do it becomes like hay the next day :(

Im pretty sure i have low porosity hair and 3a curls

Any insights what the problem may be and tips to fix??  I'd really appreciate it

Any tips?


First pic is by clipping up the back of my hair, second was when I was doing the pineapple method with a scrunchie. Such a big difference! Doesn't stretch out your roots like it does when using a scrunchie.

I discovered my curly hair 7 months ago and it's been a journey. Just starting to find a routine that works for me.

Finally figured out how to sleep with my curls


Routine:
full wash 1x a week with Shea Moisture deep moisturizing shampoo and deep moisturizing conditioner & Shea Moisture intensive hydration hair masque

Immediately after turning off shower on wash and co-cleanse days: add Cantu leave-in conditioner repair cream
        -then use Marc Anthony curl envy cream
          and Pattern curl mousse
        -co-cleanse 1-2x per week

Refresh days: dampen hair with mist spray bottle and scrunch in Pattern curl mousse

Use root clip method after styling to create a little more volume

Use pineapple method with satin bonnet & scrunchie at night

I air dry and don’t diffuse my hair.

I can’t decide if middle or side part is better??


Once I relaxed over the new hair cut and got some more advice for methods I was able to do some work and I'm happy with how it looks now! All the previous frizz was, in my opinion, mostly due to putting the products on in the incorrect order for my hair type. I swore I tried it all; turns out I was wrong 😅.

For this routine I did:

Fair trade honey shampoo-Lush

Power conditioner -Lush

I then used the L.O.C method on soaking hair for the first time and had great results. Used the "praying hands" method to apply products and scrunched a bit at the end before plopping it in a towel a few times. Let it air dry like 95%, put it in a giant loose bun at the very top of my head and went to sleep. Didn't put anything else on it when I woke up, just shook it out and put it in a low ponytail with a giant silk scrunchie for an hour or two to smooth the roots down, as they were FLUFFY lol.

Styling products I used for the L.O.C method:

L-Super Milk Primer from Lush

O-Olaplex No.7 bonding oil

C-Curl Power by Lush

Got a (probably fake) "silk" pillowcase and that helped for sure with the frizz, even waking up to a super humid day.

 Definitely going to get a silk bonnet to sleep in as I didn't like what the giant bun method did to my roots at first (this photo was taken after a few hours and the root volume flattened), but it works well enough until then. Could still do with some defining and a lil less frizz but I expect the silk bonnet will fix that.

Making progress!


Routine:

1. i wash with any shampoo i can find cuz im broke 😭

(currently used shampoo: Sunsilk black)

2. and then condition with any normal conditioner

(currently used conditioner: loreal paris)

3. i use my detangling flexi brush to detangle on the conditioner

4. then i wash the conditioner off while finger raking

5. i apply 'fix my curls' curl quenching hair butter on dripping wet hair

6. followed by 'fix my curls' curl quenching flax seed gelly

7. i plop it off with a soft cotton tshirt, followed by air drying

and tadaa

i do use a satin bonnet to bed, including using a satin scrunchie to make a 'pineapple'

finally found a routine that suits my hair!


So I work out kind of a lot (I go to the gym 5x a week and run 6x a week) and I’m a long distance runner. I find that putting my hair up in a ponytail or bun (with a silk scrunchie) for too long, especially during my longer runs in the humidity, makes my hair SUPER tangled and matted. Any ideas on how I should put it up to make it last longer before I need to wash and brush it again?

(Also because the rules say to put my routine, here it is: I wash my hair twice a week and when I do I use the cereve hydrating shampoo, the Aussie shampoo and conditioner. Then out the shower I brush my hair with the tangle teezer then I use curl cream (rn I’m using the Eva nyc one but I don’t like it so I’m switching back to the not ur mothers) and the ouidad climate control gel. I also air dry. )

Advice on how to put hair up when working out?


Hi guys, I recently started my wavy hair journey, but I'm struggling to get much definition or bounce, and it's getting pretty frizzy. I know wavy hair has a mind of its own, but I'm hoping to fix up my routine.

My routine:

Wash: Regular shampoo only on my scalp ofc

Condition/Mask: I use the Fino Mask just on my ends (since they're drier) and the Garnier Mask on my mid-lengths. I brush the product through, pin it up, and later rinse it out while brushing.

Styling: I section my hair and make sure it's soaking wet using a spray bottle.

Products: For each section, l apply a pea-sized amount of Garnier leave-in, shake the section to let the waves form, and then scrunch in a pea-sized amount of Got2b Jelly (I get the squish sound). At the end I used a bit more of my jelly to scrunch all over my hair. Note: I struggle with getting the very top section of my hair to behave, like I don’t really know how to section it.

Drying: I use my microfiber towel to scrunch out excess water/product. Then I hover diffuse for about 10-15min before switching to pixie diffusing (always turning the dryer off before moving the bowl).

Finish: Once 100% dry, I scrunch out the crunch with a tiny bit of my hair oil.

Nighttime & Refresh:

Sleep: Put it up in a pineapple with satin scrunchie and wear a satin bonnet.

Morning Refresh: Wet my hands and use praying hands + scrunching, follow up with the Garnier spray, and finish with half a drop of oil

The attached pictures are from the morning right after my wash day. Any tips on how to get more bounce, manage the frizz, or handle that top section? Thank you!

New to wavy hair routines


New to wavy hair routine


the search has been very frustrating 🫠

i have fine, wavy/curly hair about waist-length. it’s been getting straighter over the past couple of years, and im wondering if my old hair dryer had anything to do with it…

anyway! i am looking for a hair dryer/diffuser with these aspects:

\- big, deep bowl

\- quiet

\- not too hot on the lowest setting

my previous one was the conair digitalaire with a universal diffuser attachment (bc the one it came with was awful), and i didn’t like it. i will forever miss my first hair dryer, the silver conair 3q that they don’t sell anymore 😭 i’ve used my mom’s dyson, and i like how light it is and how fast it dries my hair, but it gets WAY too hot on the lowest setting.

i would love it to be between $100-200, but im still open to more expensive suggestions!

my routine right now is just plopping for 20-30 minutes with a cotton t-shirt then diffusing on low speed and low heat until my hair is dry or i get bored lol. for sleeping, i put it pineapple in a silk scrunchie, then in a silk bonnet, and use a silk pillowcase haha

need new hair dryer!


My hair is more defined than the 1st pic now since I just had a wash day the other day. Also the ponytail is a little less wide because I'll use a scrunchie instead of a thin elastic band like the one used in pics 2 and 3. I can't take pics rn, sorry.

Routine:

I use bless shampoo then conditioner then leave in cream

HELP! Hair down or in a ponytail for job interview? (One of my 1st job interviews ever, I'm so anxious)


Routine, which varies like crazy while I try to find new products, from last night/this morning.

Ouai shampoo and conditioner.

Squeeze excess water from hair with a towel.

Pattern styling cream combed through.

Mielle pomegranate honey curl defining mousse
scrunched in.

Fine and separate bangs.

Brushed upside down with Bounce define edgelift brush (I’m still in love with this) making sure to keep the bangs separate and brush them forward/down.

Diffuse upside down. I use the Dyson hair dryer on the lowest speed setting and middle heat setting.

Pineapple, keeping bangs separate, and gently wrap with a silk scarf, done in such a way that my bangs don’t get pulled back.

This morning my hair stayed in pineapple shape after removing the scrunchie. Instead of wetting it or adding product, I hit it with the diffuser and the heat made a huge difference! I was able to get my curls going where they should without adding frizz. You have to let your sections cool where you want them; that is really important.

So yeah, it was a pretty easy hair morning; maybe 7-10 minutes of gentle fussing and then I was done. 40+ years with this hair and I’m still learning ways to care for and control it.

I still have some frizzies but I’m ok with them. Trying to smooth them would probably just make the whole thing spin out of control. It’s like the event horizon; you reach a point where there’s no going back (and then have to basically start over).

A good hair day. Anyone else diffuse their hair into ruliness?


I'm looking for recommendations and/or feedback on the below products for air drying. Specifically I am looking for a product to help smooth and decrease frizz for air drying most days. I do not really want any hold (makes hair tangled and not touchable) as I like to touch and move my hair (yes I know this will increase frizz). I have a solid full product diffusing routine that works but most days I just want something easier and understand I won't get the same results. My hair is fine, medium density, with a mix of curl patterns with the top having most frizz. Many air dry creams leave my hair feeling waxy and looking dull (most recently tried Living Proof). Attached is what it looks like air dried with no product (please ignore the bad triangle shaped cut I got recently, have an appointment to fix it).

Products I'm currently considering:

Roz Milk Hair Serum

R+Co Bleu Essential Air Dry/Blow Dry Cream

Kevin Murphy Smooth.Again

Kevin Murphy Motion.Lotion

\+any recommendations you all have!

Current Routine varies:

Wash every 2-3 days: NYM Bonding Curls or Ouai clarifying or Nizoral.

Styling: Use a tshirt towel after washing, prefer air dry and currently using no products so I end up pulling it back. Occasionally will style with gel (LA Looks Blue or LUS or Advanced Climate Control or Oribe Gloss) and brush styled, then add Herbal Essences Curl Mousse, scrunch lightly with a t-shirt and diffuse til totally dry.

Sleep: Silk pillowcase with hair down (rarely pull it up in a loose scrunchie or in a silk cap but I usually end up ripping them off while sleeping).

Refresh: usually just pull it up but occasionally use conair diffuser with a little more mousse or gel

Thank you!

Air Dry Product Help


Hi all, I’ve always had wavy/frizzy and somewhat curly hair but I’ve never been able to tame or style it I’ve tried multiple routines and products and I know you have to keep going to find what works best but can anyone give me some advice I’d love to embrace my natural style but just not sure where to turn next after feeling like I’ve done all the usual steps! Everytime it turns out completely different so I’m unsure what I’m actually working with - Thanks so much for any advice 🙏

Current routine - Grumm shampoo bar, Clara leave in conditioner which I rinse out, sometimes use vo5 mousse when wet and scrunch in before diffusing, or leave to air dry and apply 10 in 1 miracle spray if too fluffy - either use silk pillowcases or a T-shirt/microfiber towel to plop - for bed I use a soft scrunchie and put in a pineapple- no refresh routine yet as I really struggle with this 😩

Style advice


Before and after a shower. I don’t know got to get it to consistently curl right, but I try. I have so many different products for leave in to help it curl after a shower. I plop it with a microfiber turban. I use satin pillowcase.

It seems to always curl better the second day with Aussie or Garnier refresher after I pineapple it overnight. I don’t know why.

Bottom right is before shower. Top right is almost dry. Left is dry and scrunched to de-crunch.

Is there a way to pineapple your hair that doesn’t involve a scrunchie?

In the second picture I tried scrunching it with Cake gel-to-foam.

Maybe it’s the humidity?? Is it too humid?

Routine: clarifying shampoo with apple cider vinegar, native coconut, milk, and turmeric, shampoo and conditioner for curly hair, comb with wide tooth comb wet with NYM curl cream, then gel….

Maybe I should have conditioned more or hard a leave in conditioner. It’s just not doing as good as usual.

Not Your Mother’s Curl Cream and Styling Gel .. before and after wash


Cut my hair short after many years of slowly cutting it more and more. I loved it out of the salon, but I styled it myself once and i don’t love the look, I must be doing something wrong.

I love the way my stylist did my hair (pictures 1-2), but I think the gel was light hold as it didn’t last long. I washed my hair myself the next day and did my own routine and kind of hated the results (picture 3), I find it looks very stiff and there’s not a lot of movement, but my curls feel very soft to the touch. by nighttime my hair looked very triangular and frizzy (picture 4).

I also find that my curl pattern on my bangs makes my face shape look very boxy, so i don’t know what to do about that either.

It is summertime where I live, so there’s more humidity which leads to some frizz, but usually it is manageable enough.

I’m begging this subreddit for help as I have been working on my hair for years now and had gotten to a great place with it! I don’t believe short hair is the issue, but maybe it’s how I’m styling it. Anyway, ANY advice is welcome. My hair was an insecurity for years of my life, and I’ve let it become one of my favourite features of myself! i want to keep that up.

Hair routine:
Redken acidic bonding shampoo and conditioner
Olaplex leave in
Fenty curl cream
Shea moisture curling gel soufflé
Sometimes I’ll add in some cake beauty mousse
(I use a bounce curl brush for styling and finger coil some pieces)

Heat protectant spray and diffuse in high heat for about 10 minutes.
put hair up in a scrunchie and put on bonnet then go to sleep.

Next day use olaplex oil and scrunch out, and done!!

Help with my new haircut


Usually I just keep it pretty simple, plop it up in a scrunchie and get pushin 💪 but what are some protective measures and refreshing tips that y’all do to stay looking great?

Routine: Dr. Bronners peppermint soap, Fenty the richer one deep conditioner, the doux mousse def texture foam, Water. Wash twice a week, sleep with hair tied up in a satin scrunchie

Curly hair gym hacks? 💪


Both of these results came from the exact same routine. The first wash gave me much more of a 3A appearance, while the second leaned noticeably wavier.

Here is my routine:

1. California Naturals Dream Curl Shampoo
2. California Naturals Dream Curl Conditioner
   * Leave in for 3 minutes
   * Detangle
   * Squish-to-Condish (S2C)
   * Once a week, substitute with a deep conditioning mask:
      * Amika Soulfood
      * Eva NYC Therapy Session
      * California Naturals Deep Conditioner
3. California Naturals Leave-In Conditioner + Dream Curl Cream
   * Apply using the glaze method
4. Ouidad Stronger Hold Gel
   * Glaze over hair
   * Scrunch to encourage curl formation
5. Microplop with a cotton t-shirt
6. Hover Diffuse for \~12 Minutes
   * No finger coiling
   * No air-drying period beforehand
   * Diffuse immediately after styling products
   * Continue until hair is about 70% dry
7. Cup Diffuse
   * 45 seconds per section
   * 3 passes total
   * Include \~10 seconds of cool shot during each pass
8. Root Clip
   * Leave clips in while hair finishes air drying
9. Pineapple Ponytail
   * Use a silk scrunchie
   * Tuck hair into a bonnet for sleep
10. Morning (Day 2)
   * Scrunch Out the Crunch (SOTC) with Amika Styling Oil
   * No refresh

Hair on the wavy/curly border has a mind of its own!


Use to straighten my hair up until I was 17, I’m 31 now & I simply cannot believe how beautiful my natural hair is!!!! (As a child my hair was always tighter curls) I’ve been going to the same hairdresser for 5 years and I would literally follow her to the end of the earth 💕 Routine: I wash my hair once a week with Ouidad tight curls shampoo/conditioner, i also use their styling gel, Hairstory hair balm, & alternating between Not your Mothers curl cream and Color Wow Curl Shook Mix. I apply all these products while my hair is soaking wet, unless I’m doing a refresh day then I use the hair balm on very damp hair. I air dry 80% of the time, and I use a xxxl scrunchie to lightly put my hair up like a pineapple for bed!

YEARS IN THE MAKING!


Routine: L’Oreal Elvive Shampoo & Conditioner
Not your mothers nourishing curl talk leave in conditioner
Not your mothers activating mousse
Diffuse hair (Diffuse back of head first and work my way around)
OGX Argan oil of Morocco

I use a scrunchie and do the unicorn method lol to sleep in silk bonnet

Refresh: spray water and curl it with my fingers

Although I use water and my finger to curl it the next day it still manages to look dry after it air dries I have tried reapplying the not our mother leave in conditioner but it still manages to look dry 🫠 Does anyone have recommendations? I’m open to anything at this point 🙃

Help updating routine


So I have about breast-length hair, which I try to protect with a bonnet while I sleep. The issue is that it basically does nothing, I put it on and my curls are equally as flat as they would be without it. I don't think it's an issue of size, because I use about the smallest available size, and clearly my hair is still moving. And I know it can work because once in a while it will and my hair will look nice. My current routine is:

\- Bend forward and gather hair in a pineapple using a scrunchie with very loose elastic

\- Hook bonnet around the nape of my neck

\- Starting at the scrunchie, push hair into bonnet. Usually the idea is to try and keep my hair at the top of my head in a line from my forehead to the back, but usually this doesn't happen

\- Stand and pull bonnet down pretty much as far as it goes to try and keep everything at the top

Bonnet doesn't protect my hair while I sleep


Those of you who have bangs and pineapple your hair at night… how do you separate them in the morning? I’ve been experimenting with different ways to keep the bangs from becoming one with the rest of my hair, but it’s challenging. Best result so far was a double scrunchie. I pineapple the non bangs in a scrunchie, then I put my bangs up and put a second scrunchie around the whole bunch. If someone has better suggestions, I’d love some help.

My hair is the kind where you need to rewet and start over it if you touch it too much. So, no comb, no brush, just separating with fingers and keeping that as light as possible. It turns into frizz in an instant.

Routine:

Ouai shampoo and conditioner for thick hair, gently brush with conditioner on, rinse

Wrap briefly in a towel

AG Re:Coil applied liberally to pretty wet hair.

Brush upside down with Bounce Curl Define EdgeLift Brush (holy game changer). Also try to find and separate bangs.

Diffuse upside down until mostly dry while trying to tell the bangs to go one way and everything else the other way.

Once fully dry, scrunch to remove any cast from the recoil.

Pineapple + silk wrap for sleep. I

Mornings, wet down and re-curl cream anything that needs it being careful to keep the cooperative curls out of the way. Diffuse if needed (always upside down) Gently separate any clumps that are too big/shirley temple looking.

Pineapple plus bangs help. How do you keep them separated?


My hair has always been on the wavy side like 2a-2b for most of my life, I could either let it air dry or blow dry with some smoothing heat protectant / serum, brush and put it in a low bun or high ponytail without issue.

About 5 years ago I moved to a soft water area and over the years I've noticed my hair has gotten gradually more frizzy / unmanageable with my usual hair routine. I can't brush it out without my hair going poofy. I noticed some very curly bits of hair at the nape of my neck were appearing so I figured my hair is changing.

I let it air dry recently without products, touching it or brushing it out just to see what happened and it came out significantly more curly than it's ever been in my life, especially the bottom layer of my hair and that which comes from the nape of my neck.

The top layer of my hair is significantly less curly and tends to frizz at the top, probably due to years of forcing it into a bun or ponytail / using heat.

I've tried a new routine to combat it but it's only partially helped. I know most people have multiple curl patterns in their hair but the difference between my most curly parts and least curly parts is quite vast and I want to make it less noticeable.

Can I have some advice on how I can get a more uniform curl in the straighter / wavier bits as seen in the photos?

Ideally as easy and simple as possible that doesn't require heat or add significant time to my hair routine? I don't have a diffuser.

NB- photos were taken after following the routine details below.

Routine:

\-Olive oil or sweet almond oil on hair ends pre-shampoo

\-Vosene (salicylic acid anti dandruff shampoo) x2

\-Paul Mitchell tea tree lavender mint conditioner

\-Hair in Microfiber towel for brief time, then;

\-John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Leave-In Conditioner, small amount of cantu grapeseed strengthening gel smoothed through hair from top to ends,

\-Denman brush though hair with twisting technique

\-Gently scrunch Umberto Giannini curl jelly though lengths and leave to air dry.

To sleep I have a big satin scrunchie that I tie my hair in at the top of my head.

Refresh routine - no idea just yet as I'm still figuring it out so advice on that would also be welcome.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Very uneven curl patterns - how to improve uniformity?


Hello!
I am looking to retain the length on my hair since I have recently noticed a lot of fairy knots and breakage due to them. I’d say my hair is around 3b and pretty thin. I’m having trouble keeping the length when I do my normal wash and go routine so I’m hoping to get some general advice on how to better care for my hair and some suggestions on protective styles.

I use the Rizos curls biotin shampoo and conditioner. Then when I get out of the shower I use the Rizos curls hydrating cream and the doux mousse. I don’t normally use gel but if I do it’s the doux gel. When applying I usually just section it into two and then rake the product in with my hands. I usually air dry my hair but have been trying a micro fiber towel as of late. To protect my hair I wear it in a silk bonnet and sometimes will put it in a loose ponytail with a silk scrunchie.

My hair doesn’t really last more than a day since it’s so thin. No matter what it seems like when I take it out of the bonnet it’s flat and stringy. So I’ll refresh in the morning with a little bit of water but I’ve been trying to use the Rizos curls refresher spray lately. I’m more interested in possible protective styles right now but I’m open to any advice!

I’ll add a picture of my hair

How can I retain length on my fine curly hair?


I took the advice on here to diffuse completely instead of air drying a bit. And the results were awesome. This is my routine

Routine:

Washed with curlsmith curl reset detox shampoo (clarifying)

Conditioned with Pantene rescue deep repair conditioner and raked through combing and washed out completely

Then while still dripping wet in the shower I applied curlsmith fragrance free strong hold gel - upside down, praying hands and then scrunched up the gel to the scalp

Then I used a cotton tee shirt to just scrunch up and remove a bit of the water so it wasn’t completely dripping

Started diffusing upside down, first along the crown/ roots for a few mins on warm but full blast

Then I diffused by doing small sections at once and carefully placing the hair in the diffuser and then scrunching up and holding there for 30 seconds. Turned hairdryer off and then moved onto next section, turn on etc. after doing this twice per section I flipped my hair over to one side (still upside down) and diffused each section like this scrunching up. Did this a few times, rotated between flipping to sides, doing roots etc.

Once about 90% dry (45 ish mins) I put up in pineapple bun with a silk scrunchie. Kept like this about an hour. Then I scrunched out the crunch once dry.

It’s still not 100% good but I’m going to play around and keep trying new things until I’m happy. I have lo porosity and fine hair.

I finally got the results I’ve been looking for


Here's my usual routine:

1. California Naturals Dream Curl Shampoo OR Ouai Detox Shampoo (once a month or so)
2. California Naturals Dream Curl Conditioner (leave-in for 3 minutes and then S2C after detangling) (otherwise, I use one of my deep conditioning masks like Amika Soulfood, Eva NYC Hair Therapy, or the California Naturals one once a week)
3. California Naturals Leave-in Conditioner + Dream Curl Cream (glaze)
4. Ouidad Stronger Hold Gel (glaze and then scrunch)
5. Microplop with a cotton t-shirt
6. Air dry for 20 minutes and finger coil face framing pieces during this time
7. Hover diffuse for 8 minutes (2 upright, 2 sideways to the left, 2 sideways to the right, 2 upside down)
8. Cup diffuse upside down for 30 seconds per section
9. Pineapple ponytail with a silk scrunchie and tuck hair into a bonnet
10. SOTC in the morning with Amika Styling Oil

I usually wash my hair during the night, and when I wake up I don’t refresh and only SOTC using oil (day 2), then the next day the only refreshing I do is putting a bit of water on my hands and then scrunching my hair (day 3). It’s only for the day after (day 4 is typically my limit) that I make a DIY mixture using leave-in conditioner and water in a continuous mist bottle, then spray enough to the point that my hair is slightly more than damp but not close to soaking wet, then scrunch, wait for my hair to be fully dry, then scrunch again.

Today, I skipped the finger coiling and air drying step in between applying my leave-in products + gel and diffusing. I went straight to hover diffusing and did this for about 12 minutes, then I cup diffused each section for 45 seconds (10 seconds of cool shot) in 3 passes. This made my hair about 70% dry, and then I root clipped for the rest of the drying process. This cut about 30 minutes from a process that usually takes more than an hour each time. My hair looked like this when I tried to SOTC!

I tried a more simplified routine and it actually turned out great!


I have gotten all the expensive curly cuts - Ouidad, Deva, and cuts by people who left those salons. I was so tired of paying so much, so just had my colorist cut it wet. “It can’t be that hard” I said. And she’s a talent hairdresser and was confident.

Fast forward to post-cut once I went home and styled—the back looks completely uneven!! Total mess - I guess straight  when wet isn’t the same as straight when dry. Help!!

Routine:
Shampoo: Ouidad Vitacurl shampoo on roots

Conditioner: Ouidad Vitacurl conditioner from middle down - leave a bit in so it’s silly not milky

Gel: generous amount of Aussie Instant Freeze Gel on soaking wet hair. Comb through with Ouidad comb. Scrunch and then squeeze with old t-shirt.

Usually air dry then break cast; diffuse for special event or if pressed for time.

Sleep in pineapple with silk scrunchie.

I went from expensive curly cuts to having my colorist cut it and now understand why I used to pay so much. Help!


So I work as an assistant manager at dominos. Been there about 2 mos. I started growing out my pixie cut about a year ago and I’m finally getting some length and instead of always throwing it up in a messy bun like I’d done in the past, I’ve been trying to take good care of it. I found a routine that makes my hair look nice, finally! But since this job, each passing day my hair is unmanageable. I use Matrix “a curl can dream” shampoo, conditioner, leave in, scrunch spray and gel. Not all of them all of the time tho. I also got a Treluxe protein mask that I’ve done once. I rinse my hair in cold water. I also started about 2 mos ago using MDhair which is a shampoo, serum, powder and capsule. I use that shampoo like 1-2 washes out of every 6/7. I try to only wash it every few days and just use conditioner. I can’t not do something to it or I smell like pizza. I also have to pull it back and wear a visor at work. I use silk scrunchie, in a low pony and gently place the visor on top my hair. I don’t brush it often. I got a rubber scalp massager for the shower and a wide tooth comb. I also got a roll and twirl define and sculpt stick to try to revamp my waves. A silk mellow case and a double sided silk/microfiber hair drying towel. And sometimes after my hair is dry I use a couple drops of Redken Diamond oil. I don’t use all these these things at once tho. I finally got a good regimen and my hair started to look nice but all this showering is drying it out despite all the advice I took on Reddit and products I’ve bought. I plan to do a mayonnaise mask soon and maybe try an apple cider vinegar rinse. I also plan to buy a clarifying shampoo to use every so often. The products I got and regimen were working for me until this job. Idk what to do. I finally had nice hair. Pics of hair when it started to finally behave

TLDR- have to shower my hair 5 days a week after finding a good regimen and hair finally looking nice. Need help figuring out how to combat the effects of the showering and having to pull it back and wearing a visor. Don’t always shampoo, more times than not I just use conditioner. I plan to get a clarifying shampoo soon. Pics of hair when it finally started to behave

How can I protect my hair when I work a job that makes me have to wash or condition every night?


I have very thick 3b-3c hair. It's not too long its a few inches past my shoulders, but every time I do my curly hair routine, it looks amazing day one, but by day two, my curls look puffy and flat at the same time. What products can I use to keep my curls looking amazing for a few days?

Here is what my wash day consists of:

* Joico moisture recovery shampoo and conditioner
   * In the shower, I use one of those Conair gel handle brushes
* I put leave-in conditioner in my hair
   * Brush with a very gentle tangle teaser
   * I use either the cake leave-in or the Meille rice water leave-in
* I section my hair into three parts
* I rewet the section of hair I am working on, and I usually don't use curl cream and leave-in, but if I do, I use cake leave-in
   * I don't brush my hair, I just rake the product into my hair
* For gel, I use the Doux Big Poppa gel
   * I rake that into my hair, then brush style
* For mousse, I use either the doux def texture foam or the cake mousse
   * I use praying hands to apply it to my hair then I scrunch my hair
* Then I diffuse my hair after I style it
* For sleeping, I put my hair in a very loose pineapple on top of my head with a broken scrunchie, then I put it in a bonnet.

Product help


After some help finding a product please! I picked this hair mousse - Creightons Curl Company foaming mousse - randomly from Boots because it was on sale and wow my waves have never looked this good and it stays so well too! I've tried looking for it online but I just can't seem to find it anywhere! Does anyone know where I can find this or has it been discontinued? Thanks in advance!

My routine is very low maintenance: current shampoo and conditioner is L'Oréal l. i scrunch in Wella shockwaves hair mousse into damp hair followed by a light hold gel. At the moment I'm finishing an Umberto Giannini curl jelly. I've recently tried Noughty Wave Hello gel that I got from tkmaxx and that's been really good and cheaper than the Umberto one. I then half dry my hair with a diffuser then leave it to air dry :) I sometimes tie up my hair with a loose silk scrunchie to sleep but this time I didn't.

Product help!


Please help! When I do my hair after washing, my gelcast is pretty curly. When it’s dry (some parts are often a liiiiiitle bit damp) and I scrunch out the gelcast almost all the curls are flat and a tiny bit wavy, with a couple strands that stayed curly.

Could someone help me figure out why this happens and how to prevent it?

Routine:
Giannini curly jelly wash and conditioner
Apply Giannini curly jelly on wet hair and scrunch
Apply Taft 8 gel after and scrunch a lot
Scrunch with microfiber towel
Diffuse

I sleep with it in a silk scrunchie

Please help me:)

Gelcast is quite curly but scrunched out it’s barely wavy?


So as soon as I learnt about straightening my hair as a kid, I've pretty much been doing it ever since lol. I've also dyed and bleached my hair lots (and did ghost roots 2 months ago) so I'm aware it's super damaged. In 2022 for about 5 months I stuck to a curly routine but couldn't get it right and still struggled to not have frizz and stringy curls.

I really want to commit to my curls and get my hair healthier - my hair is incredibly dry and with all my straightening over the years I've always damaged my hair and never got it past my shoulders because of breakage, me and my boyfriend have been chatting about getting married in the next couple of years and I'm desperate to be a bride with healthy long curls.

today is my first day trying a curly routine. Here's what I used,

shampoo - Ouidad water works clarifying shampoo

Hair Mask - Mark Anthony coconut and shea hair mask

I used a curl brush to distribute the hair mask through my hair and left it in for the required time, out of the shower with my hair still wet I applied the

Curl cream - Marc Anthony coconut and shea hydrating curl cream and I used my curl brush to distribute that through in sections

Gel - Shea Moisture curling gel souffle - I raked this through my hair and then scrunched

I then diffused on medium heat and low speed - starting far away from my head and then slowly got closer and then focusing on my roots

I have no refresh routine currently as I'm feeling a bit lost on what to do and I sleep with a silk bonnet with a silk scrunchie tying my hair up.

the photo is the result after a couple of hours, I know my hair is a bit of a lost cause with all the damage and to be frank I'm not willing to cut it, just really looking for advice from anyone who's also struggled to get their dry hair more hydrated and helpful techniques for damaged hair! and just some encouragement maybe lol.

thank you :)

Help with super damaged dry frizzy hair!


Hello everyone! I've been lurking and searching the sub, but I'm honestly so overwhelmed that I figured I'd just ask directly — please bear with me, I'm a complete beginner.

I'm a guy with shoulder-length, coarse, curly hair, and I've always struggled with frizz and very inconsistent results day to day — plus a tangled mess every morning. I've recently decided I actually want to take care of my hair properly, partly for my self-esteem, and I've been watching tutorials and reading guides online, but every video seems to assume I already know the basics, uses 15 products, and only talks about "Wash Day" without ever explaining what to do on the days in between.

I'll be honest about what I've been doing wrong: I've just been using shampoo and conditioner every shower and drying with a regular towel (most recently using Dove Intensive Repair). I now know neither of those is ideal for curly hair, and I'm ready to change my habits — I just need someone to walk me through it from scratch.

**My request:** Could people help me build a simple routine, explained as if I know absolutely nothing? Specifically:

* What does a proper Wash Day look like, step by step?
* What should I be doing on non-wash days?
* What products do I actually *need* vs. what's optional?

I want it to be as **cost-effective and low-effort as possible.** I'm willing to buy new products (especially one time purchases like a new non-cotton pillow, which I saw would help) and put in more time than I have been, but I don't want a shelf full of things I don't need, or to be waking up two hours earlier every morning.

**My main goals are** getting my frizz under control and having more consistent, manageable results day to day. I don't think I need much styling beyond that, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The three ways I wear my hair are: parted in the middle (going for a 70s Jim Morrison/Robert Plant look — my usual), parted on the side (love this look but frizz makes it unmanageable), or tied back with a scrunchie for work or when I need it out of the way. I'd also love to eventually grow it out longer than shoulder length.

I don't know my curl type or porosity yet — happy to figure that out if it helps you help me. I'm based in the US, and I would prefer products I can get on Amazon, or if needed, at large retail stores like Target that I can pick up on grocery trips.

Thanks so much in advance — I really appreciate any guidance. Please be kind, I know I haven't been doing this right, and I'm genuinely trying to improve! 😊

Hair Care Newbie | Low Cost/Low Maintenance Routine Help (Guy w/ Curly Hair)


Hi! So back in February I cut my hair from about chest length to mid neck length. Previously from that, I had about waist length hair. When I first cut it to chest length, my hair went from curly/wavy to what my curls actually look like (they tend to dry in ringlets). I was told this was because the weight was significantly less which meant my curls could bounce up into what they actually are. Well in February I decided I wanted to go shorter and I was really excited because it meant my hair would be even curlier. However that hasn’t been the case. If anything I’ve found that it’s more straight than anything. When I wash it sometimes it curls nicely, but it doesn’t stay for very long. And I’ve noticed the back never curls, which I think could be due to the fact that it is short than the front.

My routine rn is I wash it about every three days with VERB curl shampoo/conditioner and then I brush it away from the root (I was told this would give my hair volume) and then I let it air dry. And at the beginning (first few weeks after my hair cut) it would curl nicely but I’ve noticed now that it doesn’t curl at all. I’ve started using Kevin Murphy Killer Curls cream which helps sometimes, but other times I notice it doesn’t help at all. Also as a side note, I don’t own a blow dryer and I shower at night before I go to bed so I’m usually going to bed with wettish hair (sometimes it’s already dry or mostly dry though). Should I be letting it dry completely first? I haven’t noticed a difference in dry/wet hair when going to bed. The curls are always gone in the morning regardless.

What I have noticed is that the first day my curls are typically fine, but when I go to sleep I wake up and they’re gone. Is there something I should be putting on my head to ensure my curls don’t fall out while I sleep?

I have also recently started a job where my hair has to always be pulled back (braided, bun, ponytail) and I’ve noticed that even if my hair is curly, if I throw it into a ponytail the curls are gone once I pull the scrunchie out. I know that the more I touch my hair the more the curls will fall out, but is there anything I can do to ensure I don’t lose my curls after it gets pulled into a ponytail?

Obviously I’m going to be growing my hair back out now, but rn I’m really upset that I can only get a few hours at most of my natural curls, so any help or advice would be so appreciated!!

Also, sorry if format is weird, I’m on mobile :/

Question about losing curls


Does anyone have the travel Dyson? I'm considering it because it has universal voltage and sounds great for travel, but I'd be using it as my main home dryer too. I haven't encountered any reviews from curly people. I currently dry with the SRI DRYQ and it takes me about 15-20 min. Wondering if the travel dyson is much slower.

My routine: Super pared down these days! Wash 2-3x a week with New Wash (rich). Squeeze out water then rake and scrunch with Innersense I Create Hold Gel.  Diffuse. Sleep with hair pineappled in silk scrunchie.

Anyone have the Dyson Supersonic TRAVEL?


hi, ive recently been experimenting with putting my hair up because this florida heat is getting unbearable after 3 years of having long hair and would like some advice for some techniques also one of the only ways ive liked how it looks has been with a hat on as shown in the photos included and i was wondering if recreating that style is possible with a scrunchie and a clip. any help is really appreciated thank you :)

routine:
shampoo - biolage deeper moisture
conditioner - giovanni ultra moisture avocado & olive oil
leave in conditioner - giovanni weightless leave in
hair is almost always air dried

need help with putting hair up


I have newish curls (5 years or so) post hysterectomy. I have not straightened my hair now for 3 years. Before that I had mostly straight hair. Now I have mostly spirals.

How do you keep the curls from joining up to a larger spiral.  I separate them by hand wet and then dry, but they keep combining into dry clumps throughout the day.  I have very fine hair and want the separate curls for volume.  I do the drop your head over and fluff so many times a day.

Routine
Wash and condition with Innersense Hair Bath. On wet hair I use Curlsmith Air Dry Cream, brush it through with the BounceCurl brush, hand separate the bigger clumps and then Ouidad Gel. I hover diffuse until I get a cast and then gently scrunch with the diffuser to lift the root. Then let it air dry the rest of the way. Scrunch out the cast and separate curls again.  I wash Mondays and Fridays. Nighttime, I pineapple with a silk scrunchie and in the morning let gravity do its thing. Spritz water if needed.

Curls Combining?


Hello all! I've been looking for a hair dryer/diffuser that can dry my hair quickly. I need a fairly large diffuser with a deep bowl (3-4inch) and a lot of air vents. My issues with my current dryer are that it gets too hot on medium heat, and on low heat and high speed the airflow is just not powerful enough to dry my hair quickly even on the highest setting. It works decently to diffuse and set my hair, but I'm growing out my natural curls after some hormonal changes and I really don't want to damage them on the medium heat setting when im in a rush. The low heat setting combined with the not-fast-enough airflow makes it take FOREVER to dry my hair when I don't resort to medium heat.
Does anyone know a decent hairdryer (ideally with a diffuser included) that wont break the bank? Im not really wanting to go over $100, even that's a bit much as I'm in a tight spot financially.

I have mixed curl patterns ranging from 2b to 3c

Routine in order:
• As I Am Coconut Cowash

• Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-in on wet hair

• Camille Rose Curl Maker (gel-cream), prayer hands, on tighter curl patterns

• Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, on sun/styling-damaged top layers w looser curl pattern

• Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Gel to form gel cast

• Olaplex No.7 to scrunch the gel while wet, bond repair and heat protection

• Hover diffuse with segbeauty universal diffuser until ends start getting a bit crunchy

• Pixie diffuse upside down until 80% dry

• Finish diffusing right side up

• Before bed pineapple with silk scrunchie and bonnet

• Damp refresh with spray bottle (water mixture with leave-in and olaplex no 7), small amount of gel, diffuse

Good high-speed low-heat dryer that works fast?


Sorry if the photos are bad I don’t take many with my hair down since I never wear it like that.

Classic case of mixed kid syndrome where I have no clue how to manage my curly hair.
I’m really at my wits end with my hair, my hair is constantly frizzy no matter what I do (when even wet) I’ve broken my bank buying all these products that do not work for my hair.

Pretty sure my hair is 3b-3c but I’m not sure,
As for porosity, my hair gets wet pretty easily and takes 2-3 hours to dry (including breaks since the dryer hurts my ears a ton)

My routine:
‘give me cosmetics’ clarifying scalp scrub
(I wash that out with a scalp scrub brush )
‘give me cosmetics’  curly hair shampoo
‘give me cosmetics’ curly hair conditioner
‘Garnier’ banana hair food ( I use this as a mask)
I usually rewet my hair at this point.
‘Creame of nature’ leave in conditioner (the liquid spray one)
‘umberto giannini’ leave in conditioner
‘umberto giannini’ curl jelly

I use a dupe of the bounce curl brush,
I do usually section my hair while adding products but I have to admit I’ve been lazy recently and have just been sectioned it into two.

When drying my hair I use a defuser on cool then switch to heat
To sleep I put my hair in a pineapple (yes silk scrunchie) then a bonnet over that too.

I’ve also tried the camille rose curl maker and moisture milk, tho the curl maker doesn’t seem to do much for my frizzy roots but I’m a big fan of the moisture milk (smells like heaven).

Any advice,tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated since I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing

Seriously,what am I doing wrong?


This is my hair the day after washing, with current routine:

1. Curlsmith Curl Reset Detox Shampoo

2. Giovanni Weightless Moisture Conditioner

3. Curlsmith Hydro Style Flexi-Jelly.

I diffused on low heat about 80% dry and left the rest to air dry, then slept in the pineapple method with a loose silk scrunchie. I also only wash 1x a week at most to avoid drying out my hair/scalp. Between the bi-monthly Curlsmith Detox Shampoo, I use the HiBar Curl Shampoo Bar.

What are some shampoos that people with my hair type use between their clarifying washes? And if anyone has miracle solutions for better root lift, frizz control, or cleaner lightweight styling products, I'd love to hear them. My one gripe with the Curlsmith Hydro Style Flexi-Jelly is that it can start to make my scalp itchy around day 5 or 6.

Can anyone let me know what they think my hair type is? Likely a mix of 2A-2C, with some fairly stubborn strands? I'd classify my hair as medium density with medium-low porosity, as it never sinks into water when I place a clean strand in a glass of water and that it takes ages to dry (hence, never able to go with the air dry method).

FYI - I grew up in Asia with the notion that my hair was unruly/unkempt/funny-looking, and went basically my whole life going through phases of clamping it dead straight until recently. There also wasn't a lot of readily available wavy/curly hair products or knowledge there that I was exposed to.

Still learning to fully love my naturally wavy texture without feeling self-conscious. Any pointers are appreciated!

Thank you :)

Naturally wavy hair routine. Any additional pointers?


Repost as an image post - I've been told my whole life I have nice little waves and really thick hair, recently realised I may have wavy hair curl pattern and I've been trying TikTok routines and tips and it still ends up looking horrible and frizzy or all the curls disappear by the morning. I tried the below routine last night and waited until it was 90% dry, then flipped my hair into a loose bun with a silk (?) scrunchie at the top of my head and slept and woke up to a mess the next day.

Clarifying - STEAMBASE Tea Tree Scalp Water Scaler (Used x2 a week, live in a hardwater region)

Shampoo + Conditioner - Fino Premium Touch

Hair Mask - Dove Damage Rescue

(No curl cream - tried my boyfriend's one before and nothing came out of it)

Bowl method until hair becomes 'slimy seaweed' and it has the curls when wet

Mousse - Function of Beauty Zero Gravity

Gel - Eco Gel

\+ The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Hair Serum (for scalp use)

Oil - (the next morning) Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Styling

Prayer hands used for mousse and gel. I've diffused before but it eliminates all the curls even when using the pixie method or hovering, air drying leads to the below pictures. I don't know what else to do because nothing leads to the nice gel casted curls I've seen on the internet, and not doing anything (see last pic) either ends up looking good or looking very very terrible leaving crunchy dry hair even with oil and hair mask. I was gifted the Ouai travel size wave spray and I don't really see any results from it if I use it to refresh :(

I have (I think) high porosity hair as it's really damaged with cuticles sticking out but it doesn't sink instantly in the water test, and it's been through heat and bleaching before. Please help me out! Any help is really appreciated, everyone in my family has coarse hair but has a very very short haircut or just lets it be frizzy as is so I've never been taught anything. Thank you!

Edit - my goal is to be able to maintain the frizz, maybe strengthen my weak wave pattern, and not have a 'maybe it'll be non-frizzy today' gamble every morning, I usually just tie my hair back because my hair is a lot to deal with as a med student!

[Pic of my natural hair without any styling or anything from 2 months ago](https://preview.redd.it/c4aleoo0h3zg1.png?width=1130&format=png&auto=webp&s=1810cb5ca657a6a077cd614905b565edc6327552)

Asian course wavy hair - help!!!


Repost as my post got accidentally taken down for non-relevant details - I've been told my whole life I have nice little waves and really thick hair, recently realised I may have wavy hair curl pattern and I've been trying TikTok routines and tips and it still ends up looking horrible and frizzy or all the curls disappear by the morning. I tried the below routine last night and waited until it was 90% dry, then flipped my hair into a loose bun with a silk (?) scrunchie at the top of my head and slept and woke up to a mess the next day.

Clarifying - STEAMBASE Tea Tree Scalp Water Scaler (Used x2 a week, live in a hardwater region)

Shampoo + Conditioner - Fino Premium Touch

Hair Mask - Dove Damage Rescue

(No curl cream - tried my boyfriend's one before and nothing came out of it)

Bowl method until hair becomes 'slimy seaweed' and it has the curls when wet

Mousse - Function of Beauty Zero Gravity

Gel - Eco Gel

\+ The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Hair Serum (for scalp use)

Oil - (the next morning) Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Styling

Prayer hands used for mousse and gel. I've diffused before but it eliminates all the curls even when using the pixie method or hovering, air drying leads to the below pictures. I don't know what else to do because nothing leads to the nice gel casted curls I've seen on the internet, and not doing anything (see last pic) either ends up looking good or looking very very terrible leaving crunchy dry hair even with oil and hair mask. I was gifted the Ouai travel size wave spray and I don't really see any results from it if I use it to refresh :(

I have (I think) high porosity hair as it's really damaged with cuticles sticking out but it doesn't sink instantly in the water test, and it's been through heat and bleaching before. Please help me out! Any help is really appreciated, everyone in my family has coarse hair but has a very very short haircut or just lets it be frizzy as is so I've never been taught anything. Thank you!

Edit - my goal is to be able to maintain the frizz, maybe strengthen my weak wave pattern, and not have a 'maybe it'll be non-frizzy today' gamble every morning, I usually just tie my hair back because my hair is a lot to deal with as a med student!

[Picture of my hair from last night trying the routine again at around 70% dry hair](https://preview.redd.it/xl4rtxmjg3zg1.png?width=899&format=png&auto=webp&s=7cca1330ae9eff27fa454f75d02155bf2c5c79c5)

[Picture from this morning after using oil to 'break' gel cast](https://preview.redd.it/wc6dyqu6g3zg1.png?width=1171&format=png&auto=webp&s=3da19300cffa7dc03fb32f76e1871eefd47555cb)

[Pic of my natural hair without any styling or anything from 2 months ago](https://preview.redd.it/c4aleoo0h3zg1.png?width=1130&format=png&auto=webp&s=1810cb5ca657a6a077cd614905b565edc6327552)

Asian coarse wavy hair - need help!


First time posting - I've been told my whole life I have nice little waves and really thick hair, recently realised I may have wavy hair curl pattern and I've been trying TikTok routines and tips and it still ends up looking horrible and frizzy or all the curls disappear by the morning. I tried the below routine last night and waited until it was 90% dry, then flipped my hair into a loose bun with a silk (?) scrunchie at the top of my head and slept and woke up to a mess the next day.

Clarifying - STEAMBASE Tea Tree Scalp Water Scaler (Used x2 a week, live in a hardwater region)

Shampoo + Conditioner - Fino Premium Touch

Hair Mask - Dove Damage Rescue

(No curl cream - tried my boyfriend's one before and nothing came out of it)

Bowl method until hair becomes 'slimy seaweed' and it has the curls when wet

Mousse - Function of Beauty Zero Gravity

Gel - Eco Gel

Oil - (the next morning) Mise En Scene Perfect Serum Styling

Prayer hands used for mousse and gel. I've diffused before but it eliminates all the curls even when using the pixie method or hovering, air drying leads to the below pictures. I don't know what else to do because nothing leads to the nice gel casted curls I've seen on the internet, and not doing anything (see last pic) either ends up looking good or looking very very terrible leaving crunchy dry hair even with oil and hair mask. I was gifted the Ouai travel size wave spray and I don't really see any results from it if I use it to refresh :(

I have (I think) high porosity hair as it's really damaged with cuticles sticking out but it doesn't sink instantly in the water test, and it's been through heat and bleaching before. Please help me out! Any help is really appreciated, everyone in my family has coarse hair but has a very very short haircut or just lets it be frizzy as is so I've never been taught anything. Thank you!

[Picture of my hair from last night trying the routine again at around 70% dry hair](https://preview.redd.it/xl4rtxmjg3zg1.png?width=899&format=png&auto=webp&s=7cca1330ae9eff27fa454f75d02155bf2c5c79c5)

[Picture from this morning after using oil to 'break' gel cast](https://preview.redd.it/wc6dyqu6g3zg1.png?width=1171&format=png&auto=webp&s=3da19300cffa7dc03fb32f76e1871eefd47555cb)

[Pic of my natural hair without any styling or anything from 2 months ago](https://preview.redd.it/c4aleoo0h3zg1.png?width=1130&format=png&auto=webp&s=1810cb5ca657a6a077cd614905b565edc6327552)

Asian coarse wavy (?) hair!!! Help!!!