I want a product that separates curls but doesn't make my hair look like shit

[GarfieldLeChat]

What products would you recommend Garfield?

Vim dear...

if you need to fiddle with the under carrage make sure you're scrubbed clean with Vim

 

[madzone]

maybe if you trimmed you bush a bit more then you'd not need to spend time de dredding it eh??

Mr madz got custody of the strimmer

 

[madzone]

Vim dear...

if you need to fiddle with the under carrage make sure you're scrubbed clean with Vim

That's so old skool Cillit Bang is where it's at.

 

[madzone]

Right, I have mad curly hair and spent years either straightening it or doing far to much with it, the trick is to let your hair do what it does naturally and not interfere to much.

This book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Curly-Girl-Lorraine-Massey/dp/0761123008
is great, and this link should also be helpful http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

Simply, stop using shampoo - it strips the hair of all it needs to stay sleek and curly and makes it frizz. Wash your hair using a conditioner that is as natural as possible and doesn't have loads of chemicals in, esp any silcone - I'm using Faith In Nature lavender and geranium at the moment, Boots do a very basic one that's good as does the Aussie Hair company.

After washing, blot your hair dry, don't rub it or towel dry it, you need to keep the curls in and ringletty if possible. I then put some wella setting lotion in my hands ( not very much) and scrunch it in, then add some clear gel - at the moment using Alberta Balsom but Superdrug own brand is fine - again, not very much but scrunch it in to let the curls separate. Then, leave it. Don't dry it and try not to touch it. I've been doing this for about 12 months now and my hair has never looked better,and I have lots of very thin and frizzy hair

Photo below was what it looked like on a very windy day when I was on a boat, despite the conditions you can see how the curl was holding up.

I never brush my hair now and comb it maybe once a month to get the tangles out. It took about 3 weeks of doing this system before my hair looked how I wanted it but I wouldn't go back now

Photo below is (a very rubbish and blurry picture of )what it looks like now after me doing ^^ 12 hours ago -

I've heard of not washing your hair but never washing it with conditioner How does it get clean?

 

[janeb]

I've heard of not washing your hair but never washing it with conditioner How does it get clean?

Wet your hair thoroughly and use your fingers to get the dirt off your scalp, then use conditioner on your hair, leave it for a bit (a couple of mins or so) the rinse off, trying not to be too rough with the hair, even my hair (thin and about shoulder length) goes into curly 'ropes' if I'm very gentle with it at this point and that what you need to keep the curl and stop the frizz. Then, blot with a towel, never rub.

The water and the conditioner clean it, it feels much better and healthier than when I used to use shampoo - the theory in the curly girls book is that shampoos are usually far too harsh and strip our hair of the oils it needs to stop the frizz etc.

I don't really know how it works but I do know it does - and when a hairdresser used shampoo on my hair a few months ago (convinced they couldn't cut it without and I wasn't quick enough to stop them) it took a couple of weeks for my hair to settle down again afterwards.

The other key thing with this way of doing your hair is you have dry cuts, and the hairdresser cuts it curl by curl - my BIL is a hairdresser and i bought him the book so he cuts my hair now - despite a round trip of 6 hours to see him - and although he takes what seems a tiny amount off it makes my hair much bouncier and thicker when he does it that way.

 

[sambaqueen]

What brilliant advice! Thanks, I will try your cunning suggestions forthwith x

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I've got totally thin, fine, limp, fluffy, flyaway hair.

I remember I used Paul Mitchell products years ago and really, really liked them. Too expensive for me though, and no doubt if I bought some now, they wouldn't do anything for me. Not sure where I can get them in Brixton either although someone on here has told me but I can't remember - probably by website