Thread: More Curly Hair Questions

OK, I have been doing the curly girl thing for a while. However my hair is flat; the curls are pretty but they just hang like limp noodles. I want 'bigger' hair...I'll try to post a photo of the kind I want because it's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it!
I'm also having frizzy hair right on the top layer, but otherwise it's been fantastic! People like my hair like this lots better and keep asking me if I got a perm. lol! Oh, and I *think* my curl type is Botticelli, though someone can correct me on that if necessary.

OK, something like this:


The real issue is that there's curls on bottom but not on top, I think. I just want it to be more like the above photo (roughly).

well this is what i do, cus i have the same problem/want

for frizz: use a conditioner with no silicone. although silicone gets rid of frizz for a short period of time, it eventually dries up your hair because it creates a mostuire barrier.
- make sure your hair is moisturised. when u are at home doing nothing, put olive oil in it to wash out the next day etc.. moisturise moisturise!!!


next : you said you had frizz on the top layers - this indicates to me that you might have some damage on the top layers.. which means those need to be trimmed.

the good news is, you need layers anyway! if you want the hair near the hairline to be more curly, you need layers, cut in a way that the bottom layers of your hair are longer, and the top layers are progressively shorter. this means that you weigh down the bottom longer layers (so you still have a long hair look) and the top layers are lighter and therefore free to be bouncy and curly and not weighed down.

next, find a styling product you like. i use 100% aloe vera jell by fruit of the loom. it works just like normal jell but less harsh.. but if your hair is thin (unlike mine) mousse will prob work best.

comb your hair while in the shower with LOTS of conditioner. use a seamless comb - a good cheap one is the conair shower comb (about 3 bucks at walmart)

when you get out of the shower, your hair should already be untagled. then part your hair into two big sections, the top section and the bottom section.
to do this, imagine that you are going to put up half of your hair like this :


http://prom.hairresources.net/PromHalfUpdo5.jpg
(this is just to show you how the part should be, half on the bottom, half on top)


now comb the product through the bottom half of your hair, coming down.

clip it


then take the top section, put the product in and flip your head upsdie down, and comb that section of your hair straight up ( think marge simpson).

now, take a towl, and blot down both sections of hair, scruncing, ESPECIALLY the top half.

then take a clip like a butter fly clip, scrunch up the top section, and clip it. leave it like that for about 20 mins while ur hair dries a bit. it might still be damp when you put it back down, dont worry

that should do it!!!

Wow, thanks for all the great info!

Here is how my hair is right now:



I am one of those people that doesn't like taking lots of time with their hair, but I will give it a shot. Do you see how the curls are? Down at the bottom and not on the top.

I have similar hair to yours but I usually straighten mine. I agree that some long layers would probably help, and I use a product called Pearatin that's wonderful! Also for nice performance hair, get a spiral curling iron, or a small diameter regular curling iron and define/enhance the curls you have. Just remember to use small sections of hair.

Aasiyah, so detailed! That's great.

Brea, I had a lot of clients with beautiful curls. You can use a curl-enhancing product (shampoos, and styling products). OR a volumizing product to give more lift at the roots. What I also do to give lift AND curl at the root is to use a diffuser with an ionic hair dryer, and curl-enhancing styling lotions before diffusing. Girl, I just need to git with you and give you the full treatment!

Hi Brea Morgiane! I think you're hair is really pretty and shiny. I agree that it looks like you need to go shorter on top.
Damiena and I went to get curly girl cuts together. The neatest thing was while we were sitting together drying- another curly girl walked in with hair that was kind of a mess. We watched as the hairstylist first cut around the perimeter (the bottom) to neaten it up. Then, instead of doing typical long layers, she cut each individual curl or "chunk" of hair (because a lot of it had no curl when she walked in). You could see each curl bounce right up, and parts that had been flat became curly immediately, before they even got her hair wet.
It's common for curly hair to be flat on tip a little. Aasiyah's method looks great. Another option is what I learned at the Curly Girl Salon:
When your hair is still dripping wet, toss it forward and shake a little to separate the curl without pulling it out. With your head still upside down distribute a generous amount of gel on your hands (I use Angell by Deva Curl) and gently run over curls, again without pulling hair straight. Scrunch some of the water out by cupping curls in your hands, bringing your hands up to your scalp and then squeezing. Scrunch more using a t-shirt. Flip head over and place a few clips in your hair to hold the roots up while drying. Let dry naturally. If I have to go out during this stage I just take the clips out. Once hair is all the way dry flip hair, and with spread fingers slide your fingers into the roots and fluff the roots with your fingers. Don't run your fingers down your curls or comb through in any way, just fluff the roots. Then I spray with another Deva Curl treatment.
That's pretty easy and what works for me. I'm all curious about Aasiyah's method, though. I might try that, too. :)
I love Ouidad's conditioners. Their deep conditioner is WONDERFUL!

teehee,,, i meant fruit of the earth...not fruit of the loom (isnt that underwear? loool)

Wow, these are great suggestions! I need to find a salon that understands this curly girl thing. I've always had my hair cut wet and never in the method you are describing.

Azhia- ready whenever you are!

Originally Posted by BreaMorgiane

OK, I have been doing the curly girl thing for a while. However my hair is flat; the curls are pretty but they just hang like limp noodles. I want 'bigger' hair...I'll try to post a photo of the kind I want because it's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it!
I'm also having frizzy hair right on the top layer, but otherwise it's been fantastic! People like my hair like this lots better and keep asking me if I got a perm. lol! Oh, and I *think* my curl type is Botticelli, though someone can correct me on that if necessary.

OK, something like this:


The real issue is that there's curls on bottom but not on top, I think. I just want it to be more like the above photo (roughly).

Your hair looks to be much like mine. I did curly girl for a while and had similar results. Are you pinning at the root while you dry? Because that helps give some lift to the top layer. I was too lazy for pins so I used a few butterfly clips along my part. The frizz on the outer layer is also something I had, and it seems to be because the curls are clumping but when you scrunch some loosies try to break free.

Your hair looks good to me. Mine, after a few weeks it was looking very dark and dirty and didn't feel very nice. Somewhere else on the internet I read that you should wash your hair with a clarifying no-silicone shampoo before you start, to get rid of any silicone from previous products. Because apparently that stuff does not like to come out. It makes sense to me (though I am not a hair scientist), and I think that's why I had less than satisfactory results with curly girl.

Also, keep in mind that a lot of the beautiful hair you see in pictures like this has been styled to high heaven.

Yes, I know it has in photos, but I've also seen real life women with hair like that. Or similar. I'll try clipping it up; I haven't been doing that. I'll look around for that kind of shampoo also. Thanks.

If you're trying to grow out your hair, have it cut dry with no tension.

If it's wet and they apply tension (they pull the hair) when cutting, it will already dry 30% shorter (b/c it's curly and that's how most curly hair dries) + even shorter b/c of the tension/pulling.

oh and it might seem like alot of effort but it takes about 3-4 mins after shower plus however long air dryingtime.. not that bad!

my hair can look like yours if i dont have layers in it. although volume is not a problem for me.. well taming it is. but layers have helped to bring my curls up if i feel they are getting flat. also i have found that products for curls that have the consistency of a cream are better than gels and mousse. i dont scrunch per se, it's hard to describe. scrunching tends to make the frizz worse overall and increases that frizzy outer layer.

my hair stylist tells me that my hair doesn't grow down like others, it grows out and then down. i have to maintain that balance between taming the insane volume and losing my curls.
i like the AG- acti curl line

That hair in the blonde photo certainly looks like it was done with spiral curling iron. In my photo below, I took a human hair piece 3/4 fall, and mixed with my own hair. Spiral curling iron. It takes time but worth it for special shows.

Thanks everyone! I will give all this stuff a try.