Curly hair advice!

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kaitlin1209

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So I'm at my wits end with my curly hair and I really need some advice.  I've gone to the big curly hair forums and it's a little overwhelming so I'm hoping for some help here!

I'm 24 and have always had wavy/curly hair.  I got it chemically straightened when I was 18 and permed back when I was 20.  I don't get it highlighted but I dye it at home a few times a year.  It was really thick when I was younger but is super thin and fine now.  My hair and scalp are healthy, but I hate how much time I have to put into styling. 

Every single morning I have to shampoo, condition, and style my hair.  I have it down to 45 minutes from shower to out the door if I blow dry it straight.  Leaving it go curly is a risk because some days it looks great, some days it's embarrassing how bad it looks. I've tried co-washing with the Deva line, and it made my scalp break out after a month of use, and it has taken me 2 years to get my scalp back to normal. 

I know shampooing every day is bad for my hair, but I don't see how to break this habit.  I have friends who blow dry their hair straight and get by with a shower cap in the morning followed by dry shampoo, but I don't think this would work for me.  My hair gets incredibly oily overnight, and is a frizzy tangled mess every morning.  If I go to bed with curly hair, the curls are mostly flat and gross in the morning.  If I go to bed with straight hair, it is slightly curled because my scalp gets so oily overnight.  Basically, it is the same mess no matter what.  

Long story short, how do I get into a routine where I don't have to do the full wash & style every single morning of my life?

 
I have curly hair too and here are my favorite products: Shampoos/conditioner I'm using is Moroccanoil volumizing set. But I've used everything from Dove to John Frida to L'oreal and I don't find the brand makes a difference I just like the smell the best of this one. Products: Moroccanoil oil ( I've also used Organics argan oil and Josie Maran oil and they are all great, again it's the smell I love) and then the Moroccanoil curl cream. I have not found a cream as nice as this from the drug store yet. As for styling, I suggest drying your hair with a microfiber towel or cotton tee. There will be less frizz. If you go to bed with styled hair, you can get a silk pillow case which should reduce frizz and friction of your hair so it will look better in the morning. As for oily hair. It's like that because you wash it every day. When you ween yourself off washing it everyday you will see the oil decrease over time. When you remove the oil via washi ng your glands work overtime to make more oil but then make too much. It's a vicious cycle you need to break. When you shower in the morning, you can still get your hair wet but just skip the shampoo and just condition the ends. This should give you some removal of oil but not as harsh as shampooing everyday. Good luck :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
As for oily hair. It's like that because you wash it every day. When you ween yourself off washing it everyday you will see the oil decrease over time. When you remove the oil via washi ng your glands work overtime to make more oil but then make too much. It's a vicious cycle you need to break. When you shower in the morning, you can still get your hair wet but just skip the shampoo and just condition the ends. This should give you some removal of oil but not as harsh as shampooing everyday.

Ahh thank you so much!! I guess my biggest obstacle here is breaking the cycle of shampooing every day.  But, last time I tried co-washing with Deva Curl low-poo my scalp broke out in like 6 places...it was so awful and took me 2 years to recover.  Did this ever happen to you when you stopped shampooing every day?

 
I have thick curly hair and only wash it every 2-3 days. When I shower between washing, I tie it up and don't get it wet. I think that when I first stopped washing every day, on the off days, if it was gross, I just tied it up and my bangs back while my hair got less oily. It didn't take long to see a difference. Now, my hair is better on day 2 than on wash days.

If your hair gets really tangled at night, try putting it into a loose low ponytail or braid to keep it a little contained.

 
you really has to stop this circle! that is what makes you hair looks worse day after day!

Try to espace the shampoos gradually.

I have also wavy hair and when it looks messy when I wake up I wet them but not wash, just add water to define the curls and finish with Argan Oil to nourish and add definition to my curls

You should try out!

Good luck

 
Have you tried Ouidad products? Or Carol's Daughter? Miss Jessie's pillow soft curls has been a godsend for me. I can usually get away with 3 shampoos a week if I straighten my hair on Sunday. Coconut oil helps my ends and I use dry shampoo. Devacurl did nothing for me, but ouidad has given me renewed interest in my curls. I like the carol's daughter co-wash best.

 
I've never had my scalp break out, and I change my shampoo brand fairly often.

 
Thanks for all the advice!! I currently use Organix tea tree shampoo and conditioner.  It's what finally fixed my scalp after the Devacurl products and I'm scared to switch.  I'm terrified to try co-washing again after the Devacurl but maybe it was just that particular brand?  I've been considering Wen and Miss Jessies and I'll definitely look into the other brands mentioned. 

I guess I know I need to get out of the shampoo every day cycle, I just don't feel comfortable doing it/know how. 

 
Thanks for all the advice!! I currently use Organix tea tree shampoo and conditioner.  It's what finally fixed my scalp after the Devacurl products and I'm scared to switch.  I'm terrified to try co-washing again after the Devacurl but maybe it was just that particular brand?  I've been considering Wen and Miss Jessies and I'll definitely look into the other brands mentioned. 

I guess I know I need to get out of the shampoo every day cycle, I just don't feel comfortable doing it/know how. 
Ouidad is made for curly hair. It's a good line. Maybe try skipping the washing one time a week and see how it goes. You can start slow and see how your scalp feels. I used Matrix shampoo last year and it totally broke my scalp out in a rash. Took a long time to heal, so I understand being scared to try anything new. Organix also has a new Coconut Oil shampoo, conditioner and spray oil coming out. The spray oil is great for the ends of your hair.
 
Girl, I hear you. I have curly, thick, wavy, coarse hair. My hair gets oily after about 4 days. However, dry shampoo is my saving grace. When I straighten my hair, I usually can go about two days without dry shampoo. I've been using Bumble & bumble. Straight and Defrizz for years. These two products have given me the best results for straight hair, without the thickness and frizziness. If I choose to wear my hair curly, I have to wash and style it daily. I'm always experimenting with curly hair products, so I don't have a set regimen for styling my curly hair.

I LOVE Suave's dry shampoo. For the price of $3, it's MORE than worth it. I also really like Oscar Balndi's Pronto Dry Shampoo. If I'm absolutely out of dry shampoo and SOL, I'll use just regular baby powder. It works if you're in a hurry and desperate.

 
I'm loving all this advice, especially for products!  Does anyone have any recommendation for a youtube vlogger to follow about wavy/curly hair tips?  

Also I took some pics of my hair so you can see. It's definitely more wavy than curly these days.  Top left is right after styling one morning, top right is before bed that day, bottom left (my head was tilted super far back and the flash in my mirror was bad) is the next morning on waking up from the back, and the bottom right is from the front that morning (my morning face was so not ready for the camera.)  So, you can see it's really like I can't get the waves to hold AT ALL over night or really even over the course of a day.  



 
However, dry shampoo is my saving grace. When I straighten my hair, I usually can go about two days without dry shampoo. I've been using Bumble & bumble. Straight and Defrizz for years. These two products have given me the best results for straight hair, without the thickness and frizziness.
I've been wanting to try bumble for a long time. I think I will give it a shot. What I do (to avoid the dry curlies from over washing) is straighten on sunday (which takes me through wednesday) wash and let air dry, and on curly day 2 I toss it up with a clip. Curly day 3 I co-wash. By then I can repeat the cycle. I never blow dry my curls. It always makes them look like straw even with a diffuser.
 
So I know it's been a while but I wanted to update for my fellow curly girls. I have @beautybybrett to thank for the Ouidad suggestion!! 

I think the person who had been cutting my hair simply wasn't well-trained in shaping curly hair.  I went to her because several of my boyfriend's co-workers go to her and they all have GREAT hair.  However, I didn't really think about how these great haircuts all looked the SAME-- short/medium, straight, highlighted hair.  Which is, obviously, not my hair at all.  I found a salon near me that is Ouidad product based, and honestly getting a haircut by a gal who knows how to cut curly hair has made a bigger difference than I ever thought. I also got a filtered showerhead and that is starting to help my hair and skin stay more moisturized and less dried out. 

Now that I've got the shape of my hair fixed, I can work on shampooing less and styling better.  yay! 

 
Thanks for all the advice!! I currently use Organix tea tree shampoo and conditioner.  It's what finally fixed my scalp after the Devacurl products and I'm scared to switch.  I'm terrified to try co-washing again after the Devacurl but maybe it was just that particular brand?  I've been considering Wen and Miss Jessies and I'll definitely look into the other brands mentioned. 

I guess I know I need to get out of the shampoo every day cycle, I just don't feel comfortable doing it/know how. 

My hairdresser recommended that I look for a hair repair system when my hair became very dry, started breaking and was generally dull and flat.   Like all of you I looked on the internet and I came across several blogs and reviews and this one convinced me overallbeauty.com/beauty-blog/2014/03/29/pro-naturals-hair-repair-system-saving-my-hair-from-me/  I also religiously use it every six weeks but alongside my alongside shampoo (Superdrug's Apple & Teatree) I do use the argan oil leave in treatment.

Hope this helps you.
 

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