Curly Girls?

ellekay22
ellekay22 Posts: 147 Member
edited October 2 in Chit-Chat
I have straightened my hair for years, but now that I have 2 kids, I'm lucky to get a shower, let alone the hour it takes to straighten my thick hair. I've tried cutting it off, but I end up looking like Little Orphan Annie on crack. Right now it is just past my shoulders and I find myself pulling it into a ponytail everyday. Also, it is curlier (spiral) in the front than in the back. Argh.

Any tips from other curly girls?
«1

Replies

  • auticus
    auticus Posts: 1,051 Member
    I'm not a girl but I have super curly long hair. I just go with it.

    I hated growing my hair out. Being curly, when it's short it was poofy and I looked like Roxxo the Rock and Roll clown for months before it finally started falling down to my shoulders.
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    It takes me an hour, too, but with one kid who is now 3 I can manage. Hold out for then!

    Also, Moroccan Oil. :)
  • monicanicoletta
    monicanicoletta Posts: 176 Member
    Maybe you should get a brazilian blowout.. they range from like 15-300 dollars BUT if you look on groupon/living social/bloomspot/screamindaily deals websites they have offers near areas you live in all the time for like 90 bucks. sounds like a lot but itmakes your hair nice and straight/smooth/frizz free for up to 5 months
  • YukonJoy
    YukonJoy Posts: 1,279 Member
    I have super curly hair but I also spend a lot of time straightening it.

    I also have been growing it longer and now it looks great curly. All you have to do is hop out of the shower and scrunch gel into it with your hands. Easy and fast!
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Keep it curly!! Celebrate the curl! (from a curly)
  • I'm a Curly Girl! I've learned a lot of tips and care from naturallycurly.com. The only time my hair is straight now is when I get it cut because my stylist does not know how to style my hair curly. My hair is short, so it doesn't take long to dry in the morning (with a diffuser). I highly recommend visiting naturallycurly, you will get so many tips!
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
    I love John Freida products for my curly hair. I use Frizz-Ease Weather Proofing to help keep my curls from going nuts, and then Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment leave-in conditioning spray to keep the frizz at bay. It also helps to refresh my hair, after it's been tied back or slept on, lol.

    I also loved garnier spray gel for a while, too. It really held, and lasted all day.
  • Keep it curly!! Celebrate the curl! (from a curly)


    Love this! (from another curly!)
  • ellekay22
    ellekay22 Posts: 147 Member
    Thanks!
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    Long and curly here. Embrace them! I love my curls. I posted about this in another topic today, but the best thing I have ever done for my hair is to stop using shampoo. I wash it every day with regular conditioner, or sometimes Wen, Hair One, or some other brand of conditioning cleanser. It has completely eliminated split ends and has given me the smooth, spirally curls that I love.
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    I am a curly girl too, and I always make sure to put in a leave-in conditioner to weigh down my hair. I spend out 10 5 - 10 minutes on my hair.
  • jkshew
    jkshew Posts: 6 Member
    The most important thing, I have found, with curly hair is to invest in a good shampoo and conditioner. I LOVE Pureology and anything Matrix has worked well for my hair. After I shampoo and condition, I put a small (maybe like 1tbsp) amount of Matrix Biolage Gelee in and let it air dry. I never never never blow dry my hair! Also, if you are straightening your hair, make sure you are using a good iron because that could damage your hair. I recommend the CHI!

    I hated my curly hair growing up because it was always a mess but now I love it!
  • I have super thick and curly, long hair with lots of frizz. The main thing I have to do (when I don't straighten it) is adding products while my hair is still wet. I have done this for years. Last year got the confirmation on the Tyra show, that adding product is the key. I generally brush it, scrunch it, add corrective hair serum (by Schwarzkopf), scrunch more, lean over and add more serum, scrunch, stand back up and finish off with a flexible hair spray. I generally let my hair air dry because it is so much easier. However you can always use a diffuser to set your curls and let the rest air dry! Hope this helps!
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    Curly too. Trying to celebrate the curl but I am not there yet. I was just about to drop 100 bucks on a chi lol. Maybe when I lose my weight I can reconnect with the curl because right now I just look like this:


    big-frizzy-hair.jpg


    and add +30 lbs more. I just feel like the curls don't contemplate my face.
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
    I have struggled with my hair for years, I have super thick curly hair. The best advice is to embrace it, but do that with some tools. If yours is thick like mine, I suggest using a very heavy shampoo. I use Dumb Blonde by Bed Head because it is soooo think. I good tip is to only wash your hair every other day, it will take a few weeks for you body tp stop producing so much oil, so be patient. To cut down on oil, I only put conditioner up to my ears, never on the top of my head! That hair doesn't need it because it is new and undamaged. After I put conditioner in, i tie my hair up and go about the rest of my shower, after 5 minutes or so, I rinse it out and put in a very small amount of conditioner, and leave it in. Another tip is never brush your hair outside of the shower, that will make your curls frizzy. I keep a brush in the shower so I can brush it with conditioner in, it stops breakage. Post shower, I leave my hair in a towel for a while and will eventually put it half up in a clip. The point of this is so the top doesn't get flat and if lifts some layers up to help them dry. I also use mouse to help define the curls, but not to much. one of the main styles I use is taking a very center section and clipping it back. My hair is almost straight in the front so It hides that part.

    The second day I almost always curl my hair. I like curling way better then straightening because it hides the wavy parts and takes much less time. I pretty much just take the top layer and do soft curls, I am not trying to look like shirly temple. If you don't curl your hair often, it might take some practice ( there are a lot of videos on your tube).

    A lot of how your hair looks is in how it is cut. I recently got a cut which I love, she cut a bunch of short little pieces and hid them un my layers so there is much less bulk. This works if you hair is thick. I also recently got a keratin treatment. It is by Paul Mitchell and there is ginger in the name. It was not very expensive and really helped make the curls more defined.

    Message me if you have an questions, curly hair is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be a curse.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    My 17 yo is a a curly girl and recently embraced it. Her hair is so beautiful! Straight or curly when you're the mom of young ones the hair do tends to take a back seat. :) If you can find a salon near you that has someone who can actually cut curly hair correctly you might try splurging on a new do.

    http://www.naturallycurly.com/ has a salon finder.

    http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair shows the gist of how my DD deals with hers. Her hair has never looked better.
  • I use Kinky Curly Knot Today leave-in conditioner everyday. As another member posted, I don't shampoo my hair everyday, I conditioner wash it. Then do a clarifying shampoo 1-2 times a week (Kinky Curly Come Clean). Mousse for styling. I used to despise my curly hair. Once I learned how to take care of it I actually learned to like it (maybe even love it).
  • I know how you feel. I have very thick very tight spiral curls that are a few inches past my shoulders and where back is curlier than the front. I used to put it into a ponytail all the time until I a picture in a magazine where a girl with curls like mine had that awesome curly but controlled rounded mane look. I've found that long layers and getting my hair thinned keeps my hair rounded and not that awful triangle look. I've also found that using Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner along with herbal essences curl booster keeps my hair from getting frizzy, dry and keeps everything in control. Not to mention I found an awesome hair stylist that knows how to properly cut curly hair while staying within my budget.
  • shawnscott5
    shawnscott5 Posts: 295 Member
    Just go with it. I have curly hair and I had my hair dresser give me a "wash and go" cut. I have 5 kids so I know what you are talking about. I had board straight hair until I hit my mid 20's, and I freaked out when it went curly. Now I love it!! The key is to find a style that is easy to manage and looks great too. Good luck
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Styling creams and milks work great for my curls. And layers. Lots of layers.
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    bump
  • hanna1210
    hanna1210 Posts: 286 Member
    It takes me an hour, too, but with one kid who is now 3 I can manage. Hold out for then!

    Also, Moroccan Oil. :)

    ^This^ Moroccan Oil is a God-send! And it's got a ton of different products past the orginal oil. They have a product for locking in the curls and it's amazing! I have wavy hair, just a step away from being truly "curly" with awesome frizz and I swear by their products.

    Oh, and no over-drying, ruins any curl you had going.
  • I, too, too have naturally curly hair, also curlier in the front that the back. It the back it is mostly frizz. I use a straightener now, but until about 6 months ago, I always wore my shoulder length hair in some king of updo or in a ponytail. I have found that Tresemme silky smooth products helps a huge amount. I would caution you on the Brazillian straightener thing though, my daughter looked into that at one point and most Brazillian straighteners contain formaldahyde and no one needs to put that on their head! Good luck Curly!!
  • morganhccstudent724
    morganhccstudent724 Posts: 1,261 Member
    I have embraced my curls after years of fighting them. I have long, thick, spiral curly hiar. Straightening takes me about 30-40 minutes but it will last me 2-3 days.

    Product that works best for my hair: Frizz Ease Hair Serum I put it on soaking wet hair along with a scrunching gel. I finish it off with a little bit of mousse and hair spray.

    The key EVERY stylist has ever told me: DO NOT TOUCH IT!!!!! Leave it alone after your done styling. Natural curls get more frizzy as they are handled.

    Hope this helped =)
  • BeachGurl815
    BeachGurl815 Posts: 295 Member
    Some very good advice here! and I agree with embracing your curls and naturallycurly.com. I learned A LOT from that website.
  • JEK717
    JEK717 Posts: 1,497
    I have straightened my hair for years, but now that I have 2 kids, I'm lucky to get a shower, let alone the hour it takes to straighten my thick hair. I've tried cutting it off, but I end up looking like Little Orphan Annie on crack. Right now it is just past my shoulders and I find myself pulling it into a ponytail everyday. Also, it is curlier (spiral) in the front than in the back. Argh.

    Any tips from other curly girls?

    Hey i dont know you and you explained my hair!
  • Janworkingitout
    Janworkingitout Posts: 434 Member
    My daughter now embraces her curls after many years, and countless hours, spent with the flat iron. Her favorite product to use is "Mixed Chicks". The're products are made especially for curly hair, and you don't have to be a "mixed chick"! Take a look at their website: http://www.mixedchicks.net/
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
    Frankly, I gave up and went dreadlocks. Tried the mom cut once, no thanks, not doing that again.
  • shannonewallace
    shannonewallace Posts: 52 Member
    wow, excited to see the post, even more excited to see all the responses! i understand your struggle, i used to wear my hair seriously short, and just about 6 months ago decided to grow it out again! its so hard to go through the akward lengths when your hair is curly, its driving me nuts, but i think it's going to be worth it, i already feel more myself : ) i say go for whats natural!
  • spicypepper
    spicypepper Posts: 1,016 Member
    I use to get my hair perked all the time when I was younger, a body perm so I could have curly hair instead of wavy. My hair is incredibly thick and takes me forever to straighten it.

    I recently went to a new stylist and she butchered my hair cut (gave me lots of layers, and used a razor). This made my hair straight look like crap. I dug out my diffuser and low and behold... I'm curly!!! Not wavy but curly!!!!

    I think that it became increasingly curly through all four pregnancies. So now what I thought was a botched hair cut is actually a good one.

    I say if it's natural, flow with it!!! Get a good can of curl mouse, diffuser and go for it!
This discussion has been closed.