The Curly Girl Community

curly_girls @ 2008-07-27T11:17:00

2008-07-27T15:20:15Z

I used to bleach my hair. Awful, I know! I've since managed to grow out most of the bleached parts and cut it off, but it actually seems like my hair held curl better somehow back when it was fried. I don't get it. D:

Bleached and fried:

And healthy:

(Um... don't ask why I'm wearing a surgical mask, haha.)

Does anyone know why that would be happening?

Anyway, I use CO (Suave Naturals coconut conditioner, ♥), and I also like to use extra-virgin olive oil, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar on my hair. My hair feels healthier than it has in a long time... I just wish it would hold curl better now that it's healthy. ;.;

new curly girl :)

2008-07-25T07:18:34Z

Hey curly girls! I stumbled across your community today and immediately went out and bought the book - and I'm totally eager to give it a shot! I have an interesting history with my hair. It's extremely thick and corkscrew and I spent most of my high school years either braiding it or straightening it desperately. A few years ago I started going no 'poo thanks to a recommendation from a friend in college with beautiful curls, and have been alternating between curly and straight ever since. Somewhere along the line I started using shampoo again, to this day I have no idea why, except maybe I gave in to peer pressure? But since reading Curly Girl, I plan to quit again!

Anyway, last September I wanted to get my hair cut short and found an amazing stylist who actually knew what she was doing. She recommended I start using Curls Rock from Tigi Catwalk and I started using the leave-in gel (Curl Amplifier) and a spray Curl Booster. The transformation was amazing. I could curl my hair into sausage-like curls and they would stay that way, or I could just leave them down and they wouldn't poof out like they used to. The only issue I had with it is it was sticky and left my hair kind of gross and full of product, and especially after reading Curly Girl, I'd like to see if I can find a way to get a great look without the gross texture!

First of all, here is my hair: (sorry for the cheesiness of the picture, it's my facebook photo)

With Curls Rock Amplifier and Booster in it. It's shorter now than it is in that picture.

I have two questions.

1. When I recently went back to get my hair cut, I found out my stylist from above had quit/been laid off/left for some reason. I got a new lady and I was less than enthused by the cut she gave me. It's short and I can pin it back so it's cute, but I'd much rather find a stylist that knows what he or she is doing with curly hair! I don't know if any of you are in the Salem or Portland, Oregon area, but if you are and you know of a good stylist, any recommendations would be welcome! Closer to Salem is better, but I don't mind driving up to Portland for the sake of beautiful hair :)

2. I currently use Garnier Fructis conditioner for frizzy, dry, and unmanageable hair - mostly because it's cheap, I'm a college student, and I can get it at the grocery store. However, looking at the ingredient list it didn't seem to have a lot of the things that the book recommends, so I was wondering if anybody had any (cheap, god please) conditioner recs for me? Curls Rock has a conditioner but it's like $20+ a pop and I'd really rather not spend that much. Oh, and any cheaper gels besides Curls Rock would be helpful as well, that stuff is so expensive and as I said earlier, leaves my hair kind of greasy and sad :(

Sorry for such a freaking long post but I'm so excited to have people to talk to about my hair!

curly_girls @ 2008-07-18T13:58:00

2008-07-18T13:19:31Z

Good afternoon! I'm new to the world of the curly girl 'regime' although at 42 I'm not new to being a curly girl. I've always liked being curly, but haven't always known what to do with my hair so it's mostly been tied back or clipped up (see icon).

I got my book on Monday, and now I'm asking for advice. Here are three pics of me - straight out of bed in the morning:

After a shower (using conditioner only)

And finally, at lunchtime, after it's all air-dried.

Looking at those, I'm not sure whether I'm corkscrew or Botticelli. The amount of coil is only about 4 inches, but my curls seem quite tight. What would you say?

Secondly, I'm in the UK. Does anyone have any idea of conditioners without 'cones? Everything I've picked up so far seems to have something in!

Thirdly, am I allowed to use a wide-toothed comb in the shower? I can't stand all the hair that breaks around my fingers when I'm trying to finger-comb! (I realise no-one's going to come and harangue me in the shower, but you know what I mean...)

Finally, if I'd had any doubts about going this route, the number of compliments I've had since Tuesday would have laid them all to rest! Apparently I look years younger and my face is better framed.

I have wavy oily hair. Will the CG method work for me?

2008-07-10T02:26:05Z

I have always had oily hair. It's genetic, I guess. Also, my skin gets oily VERY fast and I have acne. However, I would really like to try the Curly Girl method, but I wonder if my hair will ever get used to no-poo or if I'll walk around with gross hair for a month before giving up. =P
As you can see in my picture, my hair is not that wavy, but if I scrunch it I get pretty nice waves. (in fact, by hair in that picture looks almost straight, but it's an old picture)
thanks in advance =)

curly_girls @ 2008-06-04T13:13:00

2008-06-04T20:27:43Z

I'm getting a haircut today and need some advice. My hair is medium length, I think 3c, and has never been dyed or straightened but is still insanely dry. My problem: it dries huge and poufy so I look like a yield sign. I'm going to ask for layers. Any other advice?

image heavy: (and please excuse the weird facial expressions :-P)

Sort of how I want my haircut to look.

My hair when wet.

Hair starting to get poufy. This is from a few months ago, so my hair is a bit shorter here (though not by much, my hair takes FOREVER to grow).

My hair when still somewhat wet. I like how my hair looks when it's wet, but that only lasts about an hour before poufing out.

My hair about a week ago. The top is pulled back in a loose half ponytail, and I have absolutely no idea how my hair was tamed that day.

Ponytail.

x-posted at curlyhair

curly_girls @ 2008-06-04T10:34:00

2008-06-04T17:34:41Z

Hello! I found this community while browsing around for some curly hair solutions. My hair looks something like this: although my curls are a bit looser, but not much.

If it matters I'm biracial and have never had anything done to my hair, other than having it colored a year ago. i am 35 weeks pregnant and I know that I will not have the time or energy to deal with my hair once the baby gets here. My hair hits the middle of my back but when it dries it becomes shoulder length and poofy. It's quite frustrating and I'm literally at my wits end right now (being pregnant and hormonal is not helping!) . I have made an appointment to get my hair relaxed and made a bit more "wavy." So I wanted to ask a few questions before I went in this after noon.

1) Will getting my hair relaxed allow the curls to be loose and lengthy? Will the poof be killed? (Lol)
2) Are there any questions I should ask my hair dresser before she does the relaxer? Is there anything I should request from her?

Edit: If this picture belongs to you, please let me know. I had a lot of trouble finding a picture of curls resembling my own!!

Suitable products

2008-05-22T12:47:26Z

I've been looking for products that are available in the UK that are, as deemed by the Curly Girl handbook, suitable for use with curly hair.

One range that I've found (Rose and Aloe Original Source) looks mostly OK. The shampoo (which I'd like to have around in case it's ever desperately needed, I don't know if I'm brave enough to drop it altogether yet) contains the two more gentle cleansers (Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine) and all of the lovely essential oils. However while the conditioner contains jojoba, vegetable protein, sweet almond oil and essential flower oils, it also contains some alcohol and a silicone (amodimethicone) which are, I understand, a no-go.

Has anyone in the UK got any better suggestions than this, or any experience using these products? Thanks in advance.

I'm new at this

2008-05-12T02:14:49Z

I had straight hair until I was 19, and then it got curly/wavy, so I've only had about 6 years of experience with this hair, and I have to admit that I often coped with it by straightening it. I do love my hair, though, and I want to be kinder to it, but I really don't know where to start. I've read Curly Girls and I've done research on the no 'poo movement, but I can't make heads or tails of where I fit in.

I have hair that's more than wavy, but less than curly (I think). The individual hairs are thin, but I have a lot of hair. I always keep it around chin-length, and it's layered by a stylist who knows and loves curls. I've always had hair that gets oily easily and it's dry on the ends, but I'm aware that it's probably because I wash it almost daily and the straightening iron damaged it.

My current regime is washing it at night with Bumble and Bumble seaweed shampoo or Pert Plus (bad, I know) or that John Frieda blonde stuff (bad, I know) or Wash 'n Curl curling shampoo (I'm embarrassed by that one, but it doesn't have cones!), and then occasionally conditioning with Vive Pro for curly/wavy hair. Then I put Tresemme Touchable Curls Shaping Milk on it while it's soaking wet, and sleep on it.

So, if I gave up shampoo and went 100% curly girl, what's the best way to handle the oils and the dryness? And am I wavy or curly? Could I still use the Tresemme stuff? (Cause I really like it.)

Thank you so much!

Hair growth question

2008-05-02T17:23:05Z

(xposted to longhair but I thought maybe it would be better to ask people who know what it's like to deal with spiral curly frizziness)

I have very curly hair and about 5 years ago i was taking a birth control pill, Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, and my hair began thinning and falling out. I've done a ton of research online and hair loss is one of the side effects to bc, so i stopped taking it. From what I read, it says hair growth will return after stopping, but mine never really did and to this day I still have very thin hair. It's not like I look bald or anything but when my hair is wet, you can see my scalp, and it's just...not cute. I used to have very full thick hair but now it is maybe an inch around if I pull it back into a ponytail. When my hair is dry it will not look thin but again, I am comparing this to how my hair used to be before I took birth control.

I want to know who has had success with taking certain types of vitamins to regain hair growth. I have seen several different types of vitamins, even ones that are several vitamins in one pill that say it is specifically for hair growth, but I'm hesitant to try them. In my mind I keep thinking it's going to make ALL my hair grow, (like arm hair, facial hair, etc.) not just the hair on my head.

I am also wanting to grow my hair longer. I am mixed - half black and half white - but my hair is very fine, not coarse at all. When I was little I couldn't stand it; but now, I'm 24, and I love it. Right now it is pretty long, when it's curly and dry it is about 3 inches longer than where my bra is on my back, when it's straight it's very very long, just above my butt. I want it to be almost to my butt while it's curly and dry. So a vitamin that promotes hair growth and hair strengthening so I can grow it long is really what I'm looking for.

conditioners

2008-04-29T01:31:07Z

I'm looking for a new conditioner to try.

I've had a lot of luck with the Herbal Essences old school pink bottle conditioner--not sure what it's called, but it's getting harder to find.

Any suggestions?

I've got botticelli curls that really tend to defy nature sometimes...

Thanks in advance!

First time....

2008-04-28T21:28:11Z

Okay, soooo.....I've been excited to try this for my crazy, wavy hair. I used tea tree oil conditioner to wash my scalp, and condition in the shower, and then a really light leave-in conditioner to scrunch my hair afterwards. Now, my hair is...completely flat. And my scalp is pretty itchy. It just looks blah. Am I doing something wrong?

Hi curly girls!!!

2008-04-23T05:32:01Z

I just read this book TODAY and I am gung-ho excited about having hair that looks good all the time instead of just when it feels like it. Actually, I have a 2-year-old, and as you can see from my icon, just did the low ponytail thing everyday for eons.

Anyway, here is my post in my personal journal about curly girls: http://thesynergizer.livejournal.com/324125.html

In it, I do some explaining of what the method actually is, which I'm sure would bore you all since you don't need a 101, but also what it means to me emotionally to be free and not hate my hair and my looks and know what it is that is in shampoo and how to make changes that not only look better, but are actually better for me.

Wow, was that all once sentence?

Anyway, I do have a few newbie questions.

I'm scared of the transisition period, of course, so I bought a natural shampoo that didn't have any of the harsh chemicals in it. I chose one that had the gentle baby shampoo chemical that she recommends (maybe I'll use it on my son too!) and am planning to wean down very slowly. Currently, I wash my hair about three times a week, but to be honest (don't throw rocks at me) if my hair doesn't need to be washed, I don't even shower. Showers are mega-hard when your toddler destroys your house while you're gone, so I keep them to a minimum.

So do I need to condition every day, even if I don't shower? Do I need to shower more?

I wasn't sure what kind of curls I have, I was thinking maybe wavy, but my husband looked at the photos in the book and pegged me as Bottichelli, hands down. After one day of doing my hair the curly girls way, I see that he was right. It was only wavy from being tugged into the low ponytail and ignored.

So the regimine for my hair (and corkscrew curls, which I've always envied) is no poo at all, right? Once I'm out of the transition period, how often do I use the conditioner to cleanse? Just once a week? On the no-cleansing days, do I wash/scrub my scalp with just water, or leave it alone?

Next, the little recipes section has a baking soda wash that the no-poo people use, as well as a cool-looking brown sugar and conditioner scrub. I'd like to try both of these, but don't know how often to do them. Is this instead of shampooing? Instead of using the conditioner to clean my hair? Or like a bonus clean for the week? How do you know when to use a recipe and when to just use your regular conditioner. I'm so lost.

My hair:

Sorry these are so bad, I had to take them myself, as no one else is home right now.

Hairdos for special occasions?

2008-04-18T15:45:00Z

I've been doing the CJ for a while now and my hair looks and feels amazing! I'm so happy with it!

....now for the tricky part. I'm going to a friend's wedding this weekend and I don't know how I should do my hair. I have bright red botichelli curls that are about shoulder length. Any thoughts?
@~>~~

curly_girls @ 2008-04-05T18:00:00

2008-04-05T22:20:40Z

Hi everyone, I'm new to this community and I've been doing the CG regime for about two months now. Like every other girl with curly hair, I've lived the majority of my life fighting against my natural curl. I straightened, blow dried, anything to get rid of the curls. Finally, I was introduced to Lorraine Massey's book and I haven't looked back since.
I really try to stick to the routine and not wash my hair with shampoo at all, but I find that after three days my hair looses shine and volume, and is just sort of weighed down and oily. I don't know if it's that my conditioner is too heavy. I use the Treseme Vitamin E Moisture Rich conditioner and the Tres Gel Clean-Hold.
I guess I just need some help figuring out if the products I'm using are right for my hairtype. None of my friends or family (except my twin brother) have curly hair, so I'm kind of lost.

My hair before CG:

And after:

(sorry for the frighteningly close close-up)

(sorry if it's hard to tell on this one)

Thank you in advance for any help!

fine hair/ lack of curls

2008-03-27T15:14:39Z

I posted a year or so ago about phases my hair goes through where it loses its curl for a while. I get really frustrated and tend to get my hair hacked off during these times, because shorter hair will always curl better. i dont want to do that this time! i have been wanting my hair to be just below my shoulders with some layers so i can do some cute up-dos. My hair has been between chin and shoulder length with a sort of A-line style. (longer in front and some layers in the back)

right now my hair is right above my shoulders and the A-line has almost been cut into a bob. my hair is fine and is going through one of those "LESS curly" phases.

can you advise me on a cut, or product, or show me pictures of your fine hair with curls. i would love to see cuts of chin to shoulder length hair as well. I am sick of wearing my hair in a pony tail and today im wearing a hood its so bad. help please!

here is a recent picture (from january) of my hair on a typical day. i pull up the top and usually pull the back into a pony tail because it looks stringy, limp and frizzy.

and here is a picture of it shorter and curling how i like it

prom hair ideas!

2008-03-23T02:01:42Z

So, I've been here before on different accounts so you may recognize some pictures or not. I want to say that I love this community, you guys are always a big help... so I decided to turn to you for my prom problem.

I have naturally curly hair as you can see:

I just got my hair cut the other day, so it is about as short as the first black and white picture. And my bangs are short than that, too... I'm thinking about straightening them, since my hair will be up.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice for prom hair, pictures of ways that my hair will work with, websites with pictures? My prom is in exactly two weeks and I really need something soon.

Please and thank you, very much.

help?

2008-03-06T14:57:30Z

I'm having the hardest time "typing" my hair--I'm leaning towards wavy, but, I don't know, I think I might be right on the line.

I'm also having issues trying to ween myself off harsh shampoos. I'm now using an all natural bar shampoo, since it doesn't have all the harsh chemicals that normal shampoo does. But my roots always ALWAYS look greasy after I use it for a few days! I'm now using a normal shampoo every 3rd to 4th washing, but maybe that's just making it worse? I don't know. It wouldn't normally be an issue, but I teach college French and, I can't really show up to class looking... well, less than clean. Advice?

problematic canopy curls

2008-03-06T09:05:25Z

I've been following the CG routine for 8 months now, trying different amounts of conditioner and gel. My underneath curls are wonderful--they curl into beautiful ringlets and are soft. The top layer, or canopy, is still frizzy and the curls are not curling into ringlets like those underneath. Obviously, the top layer is what everyone sees--only I get to appreciate the perfect curls underneath. Help, please! Any suggestions?

Haircut agonizing.

2008-03-06T04:30:56Z

This is my hair

Here are some more pictures of my hair

I don't know if those are the greatest photos but you get the idea.

Now here's the thing, I'm in the process of growing my hair long as hell, and I'm getting there, I'm getting there, but now I have to face the inevitable hair cut cause I want my hair shaped and I want healthy ends, as healthy as possible.

But I mean I live in a place where no one knows the dry method of cutting and I am about ready to give up on finding one.

So what would you suggest I tell the stylist I want when it comes down to cutting my hair? Long layers, no layers? Help please!

hello!

2008-02-25T07:28:22Z

what do you think? ;)

salt water spray

2008-02-24T01:11:25Z

I wanted to try adding some sea salt into a spray bottle with water and using it on hair to get the ocean-hair tousled effect (without harmful to hair iodine found in oceanwater). Do you think using salt-and-water hairspray is bad for my hair? (I use jason shampoo and conditioner, my hair is just staring to get really healthy, and I'm pretty anal about anything harmful to my hair)
Thanks!

diffuser help

2008-02-21T21:45:56Z

hey everyone, just a random question. how would you use a diffuser? i got my haircut, and my stylist used a diffuser; i thought it looked really cute, so i went out and bought one. i've tried it twice--the first time it looked like i stuck my finger in an electrical socket and the second time was a little bit better, but it still looked messy. so is there anyone who knows how to use one and could give me some instructions and/or tips?

if it helps any, i do shampoo about every couple of days, and use a normal conditioner as my leave-in, plus the vo5 curl mousse.

thanks.

Products?

2008-02-05T02:39:13Z

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking for some new products, namely conditioner & gel. I was at Ulta today and was looking at their DevoCurl line, and the Matrix curls products. What do you guys think of them? I want some opinions before dropping $20 each on a bottle of conditioner and gel. Thanks!

Quick hair update and a question

2008-02-01T22:46:48Z

Been doing the curly thing for about 2 months now and so far it's working out really well! My hair feels healthy again and it's so soft. I'm really happy with it.

Now for the question part: I only wash it about once a week. My hair feels so dry after I first wash it that I get nervous, so I've dropped it down to once a week. I'll wet it down about every other day, but that's about it. Has anyone else had anything like this happen to them? I don't think it's my hair getting used to the conditioner anymore because it's been quite awhile. Any thoughts?
@~>~~

Favorite conditioner?

2008-01-07T03:00:13Z

I looked through the memories of this group and didn't find a post like this. If I overlooked it I apologize.

What's your favorite type of hair conditioner? Does it have the emollients, proteins, humectans and moisturizers that CG calls for?

I think my favorite brand that I've tried might be pureology, but I forget which of their conditioners it was that I tried, and I don't have a bottle to check to see if all the ingredients that I'd want are there. I mainly only use vegan/animal-free conditioners, so my experience has been limited by that. I also like Aveda products in general, but I haven't found a conditioner from them that I totally adore. I haven't tried their curly hair conditioner, though.