Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with curly

Care and keeping of curly hair... on a toddler

celtalitha — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:13:32 -0800

My two-and-a-half-year-old daughter has inherited my crazy-thick, curly, totally uncooperative hair. She is a spitfire personality who despises having her head washed/combed/messed with, and I want to somehow minimize the trauma of keeping her looking civilized (which, at the moment, she rarely does). Help! So, I'm tired of my family telling me that my child looks homeless, and my child is tired of having mommy spend ages in the bath trying to comb conditioner through the tangles. I was using some discontinued baby wash from The Body Shop that I found at TJMaxx as shampoo, and it worked great; I ran out of that a couple weeks ago and decided to use the sample-sized Johnson's baby stuff that I had lying around ... and OH MY GOD the tangles, the tears, the misery. I am going to buy something else, but I need recommendations!

My normal routine is thus: I wash her hair 2-3 times a week (as long as she hasn't gotten anything in it) with a gentle shampoo; I use a natural conditioner to comb through and detangle, squeeze out the water with a towel, and add an extra dab of conditioner as a leave-in. As long as she bathes early in the day and her hair gets to air-dry we get gorgeous victorian-style tight blonde ringlets that everyone adores (seriously, total strangers come up to me multiple times a day gushing over her hair when it's done right).

BUT! But, if her hair is still damp when she goes to bed/nap, or if she touches anything, or if it's been a day or half a day since the bath, or if I can't get the comb through the conditioner nicely, we have HUGE POOFY CRAZY MESS. Think of a large 70s afro, only blonde, only after the owner stuck their finger in an electrical socket. So... do I have to resign myself to every-morning hair washing? Should I cut it all off (it's down to mid-back when wet, but sticks out like a curly Einstein- after a day)? Should I just let her look like a hobo with random curls and tangles everywhere? (it kinda fits her personality, tbh, but part of me feels like a neglectful parent leaving it like this).

If you have a curly-haired child, let me know what you use (shampoo, conditioner, styling product?) and how you deal!

I've read good things about Devacurl, Mixed Chicks, etc online but they are so pricey I'm reluctant to try them if they won't work for me. I will however shell out the money if that's what will save me the daily headaches...

Curly hair ideas

Ideal Impulse — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:31:34 -0800

Another one of them "I need a new hair style questions": curly dry and multi-textured I've had the same damn cut for awhile. Not only am I just getting bored with it, it just isn't looking as nice these days; 6/7 days, it ends up being pulled back into a ponytail before noon. It's very curly in parts, and wavy, almost straight in others, especially around my face. It gets dry and flyaway around my face, too.

Here are some pics (ignore baby strapped to my chest): 1 2 3 4

Here are some pictures from my little guy was even littler 2 weeks after its last cut. I like it in these pictures; it was late summer and humid and my hair wasn't as dry as it is these days 1 2

Looking for some ideas on what to do with this mess and would love to hear from some mefites. I currently do very little styling, but am open to 10 or so mins of doing it up in the morning. I want to keep it curly.

Other thing: I wash my hair only once a week

Curly haircut suggestions please!

k8t — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:07:51 -0800

I need a new curly haircut. Hope me! I last asked this question in 2006. I am really bored of my haircut.

Here's what my hair looks like now (the last year or so): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. (Because I've moved, this features haircuts by 3 different curly specialists.)

But I'm just so bored with it! I've had a variation on this haircut for a decade now.

I have a new curly hair cut specialist in my new city. My first cut with her was more a getting-to-know-you cut, but my next cut next week, I want to make a bold move.

I roughly follow good curly hair practices (although I do shampoo). I'm fairly lazy - I don't like to spend too much time on my hair.

Out of my boredom I've been straightening it once a week. Never in my life have I done this, but I am THAT BORED.

I did a Pinterest board of interesting curly hair cuts, but I'd love to hear from MeFites about cuts that they find interesting for me.

Seeking a fresh new 'do!

sundaydriver — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 12:42:03 -0800

What kind of haircut or style might breathe new life into my boring old curly hair? Pics inside! I've been growing it out for years, but it just hasn't fanned out into the lush mane I'd imagined :( I love the curls, and it's super healthy, but something's gotta go: either the length, style, colour or all.

Snowflakes: I've done bobs to death, as it was my go-to haircut for years. Anything new I should consider?
-I'm a teacher in my 30s, so I'm not inclined to do anything crazy, but I'm so so bored with my hair, and I'm ready to experiment a bit.
-I lean toward low-maintenance: I wash and diffuse a few days a week, and pin it back or bun it other days. I know--boring! But I'm willing to put more effort into a good, flattering style.
-My hair is actually very thin and fine despite the curls, and doesn't hold volume, especially at the top. This limits what I've been able to do with it, long or short.

I've included some pics to show that everloving bob I had for years, and my hair in it's current state and usual style. Any ideas for a fresh and flattering change?

Thanks very much in advance!

Healing damaged curls?

houndsoflove — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:08:28 -0800

I've been wearing my hair pulled back in a ponytail for probably twelve years. I want to start wearing it down, but it's gotten way too damaged for that. How do I restore it back to health? My hair is naturally curly but also naturally dry in texture. Since middle school, I've done all sorts of bad things to it: dying, blow-drying daily under high heat to straighten it, neglecting to use conditioner for months, using a brush, not getting it trimmed, and pulling it back in sometimes tight ponytails every day. The result is a frizzy mess that, if worn down, gets blown out of shape with even a slight wind or dab of humidity. That exaggerated rat's nest in the "Before" picture on conditioner commercials? That's basically it. But with more broken hairs.

I've made some changes over the past year, including using conditioner daily, combing it out with my fingers after a shower, and taking a shower the night before work to let it mostly air dry or use the hair dryer on the low warm setting. I have noticed a big improvement in texture, though it's not yet healthy enough to wear down.

I have tried not washing it every day, but it gets really greasy at my scalp by midday if I don't. I have thought about a keratin treatment to re-texture it, but I look WAY better with curls or waves than I do with straight hair (not to mention that it has really thinned out).

What are your best practices for restoring curly hair that's as unhealthy as mine? Preferably DIY, but I am desperate enough for the salon if necessary.

Where in UK/ Western Europe can I get my curly hair cut?

EatMyHat — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:00:02 -0800

Hi all, I have long caucasian wavy-curly hair, and I'm looking for a stylist who really understands (ideally specialises in) curly hair. Someone who can work with the natural texture and not expect I'm going to straighten it or blow-dry it (complete masochism in a rainy climate...) I'm willing to travel for a good cut so can anyone recommend me a stylist or a salon in London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam....?

Straight curly, yo.

sio42 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:58:24 -0800

Reverting to naturally curly hair after getting Aveda smoothing treatment twice over the last year. What do I do about how weird it's gonna look when the bottom 8 inches are straight? I don't want to keep blowing my hair out every other day and I'd rather not cut it off when I've been growing it out. Is there like a soft wave perm or something I could get on just the straight part? I'm done with the straight hair. But I've finally gotten it long enough to pull back so I really really don't want to cut it. There's only about two inches that are natural at the roots right now.

But unless I get another treatment I have to keep blowing it out when I get it wet because it looks atrocious air dried. It still is kinda curly when it's damp but it gets a weird frizzy going on.

I'd be willing to get one more treatment if that would give some kind of wave or something to the straight part, but I don't know how that would work. My hair is otherwise pretty healthy - no split ends etc.

It's not thick, but I have a fair amount of hair, according to my stylist.

I'm going to ask her about this, but I thought askme might have some idea as well. Is there a product that can help with the weirdness of the chemically straightened part that is kinda curly when damp so I don't have to blow it out? I used to use BeCurly but it seems too heavy now. I'm just feeling kinda clueless about to reverse this permanent thing.

stylist with "curly scissors" in Southern New Jersey

tigrrrlily — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:03:00 -0800

Help me find a replacement hair stylist with "curly scissors" in Southern New Jersey. I'm someone for whom getting a haircut was always unaccountably stressful... until I found my One True Stylist this past summer. Traumatized no more!

...except then he died.

I'm getting way too shaggy and overdue for a haircut, but I need (ok, would like) someone who can cut slightly wavy, unprocessed hair in a way that it can be worn in a tousled, curly mess with minimal effort. My guy would take single wet strands, and cut them at an angle, using the shears as one would a straight razor. The hair just seemed to want to curl up by itself. Magic!

Who else can do this for me? I get the feeling this is not part of the base skill set of your usual stylist. I've been going to a salon in Moorestown, but anyone within the area (or even in Philly, if it comes to that) would be doable once every 6 weeks or so.

How to look decent with curly hair

Anonymous — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:17:01 -0800

So I'm a 23-year-old guy with curly hair. My hairstyle has been based almost entirely on neglect since I was born. Time to grow up. How does a guy get away with curly hair in 2011? It's really hard to get this right. A lot of college age guys have their hair a little bit long and poofy, which can look good, but it's more cute than handsome. I want girls to be attracted to me, not just want to tousle my hair. (Both would be ideal.) I'm trying to look pretty normal and put together, maybe with a tiny bit of a rugged indie-folk vibe.

For what it's worth, I'm blond and blue eyed, a little overweight, and my face type is round.

Should I straighten my hair?

Ziggy500 — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:17:58 -0800

I would like to use a straightening treatment on my hair - ie something that lasts for 6 months or so. I am wary of damaging my hair and of harmful chemicals. I'd like to hear from other Mefites who've had this sort of procedure done to their hair. More details inside. My hair is quite thick and curly. I like it curly and do not want to permanently lose the curl. I'd like to experiment with a straighter look without spending hours with the straighteners everyday. I don't think it's very good for my hair to be heat-treated regularly, and I just don't have the time in the mornings to do anything with it, so it would be cool to just be able to have wash-and-wear straight hair.

Has anyone else straightened their hair and were you happy with the results? Did it wear off after a few months?

Thanks Mefites!

Men's long curly hair - stylist recommendations for Orlando?

tkolstee — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:50:35 -0800

Looking for a hairdresser in Orlando that works well with long curly men's hair. The title pretty much says it all. Not looking for tips, just want a stylist who knows what they're doing.

I've been growing my hair out for about three years, and have only cut it once during that time. I'm pretty much illiterate when it comes to styles, but mainly want to give it a little more shape, trim the ends, and anything else that might make it look a little neater or make it easier to maintain.

Including the following in case it's relevant:

I'm caucasian and my hair is dyed with Ion brand "darkest brown". As is often recommended for curly hair, I rarely wash but use lots of conditioner including a leave-in product. My hair tends to be very fine and gets very frizzy. I can't get through it with a comb or brush unless it's soaking wet and covered in conditioner.

Last time I did this it got wider than my shoulders but it never fell down.

Scientist — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:52:53 -0800

How do I get my curly hair to come down? I have some seriously thick and curly hair, and while I've come to love it over the years I've always kinda wished that I could get it to come down in ringlets around my shoulders. However, despite past efforts it only ever seems to want to grow up and out no matter how long I go between cuttings.

At the behest of my girlfriend I am trying again to grow it out and get it to fall down, but I'm starting to get a bit impatient. My locks are currently about five inches long when stretched out, but shows no sign of succumbing to gravity anytime soon. I am therefore wondering if there is any way I can cheat.

I'm looking for some simple and ideally inexpensive product or technique that will get my hair to relax enough (or make it heavy enough) that it will want to stretch out a bit. I am definitely not looking to straighten my hair! I like the curls and want to keep them, I just want to try and convince them to curl downward instead of every whichaway.

I don't want to just go trying various products all willy-nilly as I'm worried about damaging my hair, overstraightening it, or just wasting money on something that doesn't work the way I want it to. So I'm hoping that somebody out here has experience with this situation and knows just what to do!

My hair needs help!

cp311 — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:24:30 -0800

Does anyone know where I can find this Remington Airwave hair dryer, or similar? It's "currently unavailable" on Amazon, and I'm afraid it may be out of stock or something. I've been looking for a way to make my wavy/curly/poofy hair dry well, and quickly, without the usual frizz and such. This dryer seems perfect, but Amazon doesn't currently have it, nor can I find it on eBay or Remington's site. Where can I buy one, or something very similar?

I'm looking to style my hair more quickly/easily, as blow-drying usually makes my hair poof up horribly and take forever to straighten. When I straighten it, humidity makes it curl anyway, but only in certain places. If I don't blow-dry or straighten it at all, the curls are uneven and my hair has no volume on top. I'd really like to find a better solution for styling my hair, as I will have 8 o'clock class every morning for summer classes and don't want to take so long getting ready.

If I can't find a dryer like this, how can I best style my hair? I've tried John Frieda's Dream Curls spray, with some success, but scrunching my hair doesn't work well, for the reasons stated. To make it worse, I've got bangs I'm trying to grow out.

curly hair help

insectosaurus — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:49:47 -0800

Please help me take care of my wavy/frizzy on top, curly below, very thin hair. My hair is a little longer than shoulder length dry, and a couple inches longer wet. The bottom layers are corkscrew curly. The top layers are wavy/frizzy. In this photograph I'm leaning over so you can see both parts of my hair. I have fine hair and it's very thin - my ponytail is about the diameter of my thumb. Many products for curly hair weigh it down too much.

I wash with a tiny bit of Burt's Bees SLS-free shampoo about twice a week, and use lots and lots of Trader Joe's conditioner. I only comb my hair in the shower with conditioner in. I always lose a lot of hair in the shower. I let my hair air dry. I don't use any styling products because I've never found anything that works for me.

I tried the no-poo/curly-girl method for a month, and my hair just got too oily for that to work. If you have a suggestion for how to make it work for me, I am open to it.

I am looking for advice on how to take care of my hair, products I can try, and how to use them. I am willing to try cheap or expensive products. I could get my hair cut (I can afford maybe $70 tip included, I'm in Los Angeles), but I would like to keep it as long as possible.

Ideally, I would like ALL my hair - top layers included - to curl. I would be okay with anything that looks nice though - currently my hair is just a mess all the time and I have no idea what to do with it.

I did check the tags but all the curly hair questions were from people with different hair types than I have

...who had a little curl...

JoanArkham — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:17:18 -0800

I've got naturally curly (bordering on frizzy) shoulder-length hair that I generally don't style at all...I just wash and go. But now I'm thinking about getting some hot rollers. I've had some pinup-style pictures taken over the past few years where the stylist used hot rollers to give me a different look. I know pretty much nothing about styling my own hair, but it seems to take it pretty well. I'm looking for specific product recommendations for hot rollers and/or specific styling tips. I've seen some videos out there, but none of them make sense to me. I love that I can be lazy with my hair, but I'm ready for a change!

Looking for a cheap Austin barber who's good with long curly hair.

nebulawindphone — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:33:13 -0800

I'm looking for an affordable barber/stylist/whatever in Austin who's good with long curly (caucasian) hair. Bonus points for proximity to UT.

Curls, Curls, Curls

Put the kettle on — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:09:38 -0800

Help me style my curly hair. I am a girl, early 20s, and I have dark brown curly hair. My hair is long, reaching a few inches past my shoulders (to the middle of my chest or so). Picture here: I'm on the right, with the longer hair.

My hair has pretty much been the bane of my existence for my entire life. When I was younger, I would put it up in a ponytail every day because it was so frustrating to deal with. In college I cut it short and started to straighten it occasionally. Last year I straightened it almost every day, but this was a huge pain because I had to get up really early, wash it, blow-dry it, and then straighten it. It took ages and I can't be bothered to do it every day anymore.

Now I have accepted the curls and I wear it curly most days. What I usually do is part my hair in the middle and tuck it behind my ears after washing it, then take one end in each hand and scrunch each end a bit. Then I leave it alone. After a few hours, it dries into nice loose curls and I fluff out my hair from behind my ears and it looks acceptable.

That's fine if I don't have to go out the whole day, but if I do, I'm walking around for a few hours with wet hair and I look like an idiot. I don't even mind that, but I really don't want to go into work like this every day. And with the weather turning colder soon, it's not going to be an option anyway.

Whenever I've tried to blow-dry my hair, it just frizzes and becomes huge and unmanageable. I don't really know what to do and it always turns out looking crap. I'm also afraid my hair might be too long and straightening it is the only way to keep it from looking messy.

I've read some related threads here and I tried the suggestion of putting my hair up in a towel right from the shower and then just leaving it alone. I found that this dried my hair out a little too much so I couldn't scrunch the curls properly and it just looked messy at the end. It did dry a bit faster though.

So: what should I do to my hair each morning to get it ready to wear? Are there any products I should be using? Is there a nice way to deal with those 'ha ha, have you just been to the gym?' comments whenever I go out with wet hair?

I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow and I'm planning on just asking for a trim as I'd like to keep it long. Is there anything else I should be asking for? I've had layers in the past, but I'm a little wary of them now. If I don't wear my hair down, I wear it in a braid, a bun, or (occasionally) a ponytail, so I want to be able to still wear my hair these ways if I want, and I think even lengths of hair work best for this.

Any tips, ideas, product recommendations, what have you are welcome and would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, MeFi!

Ugh.

Ziggy500 — Mon, 17 May 2010 06:39:15 -0800

Thanks to a disaster haircut, I have no idea what to do with my short, curly, messy hair. In particular, how do I make it look presentable for professional occasions? Got a terrible haircut recently thanks to miscommunication with the hairstylist... I wanted my long curly hair to reach my shoulders, but he cut it to shoulder length while it was wet, which means that, when dry, it bounces up to around my chin or the middle of my neck. It looks really odd.

I have not had hair this short for a decade. I have always been very low maintenance with my hair: I never blow dry or straighten it, don't tie it up much, just leave it to air dry with leave in conditioner. However this method doesn't work with my new hair - there's not enough to weigh it down, so it dries outwards instead of down, and the curls are not that defined.

How do I make it look OK, especially for work where messy would be frowned upon? What sort of updos should I be trying? It's long enough for a short ponytail but looks a little silly. Half ponytails look unflattering because of my face shape. Do I need to invest in straighteners? Would straightening it regularly damage my hair? I really want to keep it as healthy and happy as possible so it grows better.

For any product recommendations - I'm in the UK.

The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair

KateHasQuestions — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:13:22 -0800

My hair is very slightly wavy. I'd like it to be more wavy - almost curly. What hair products should I be using? Is a perm a bad idea? When my hair was shoulder-length, and I used to put a glob of gel in it after I washed it, scrunch it up, and it would dry all wavy and fun, with some curls around the front, but mostly just wavy. Now my hair is longer and heavier, and gel doesnt quite hold up the curls, and using more gel makes my hair stickier and stiff. What products can I use that will curl my hair more as it dries, without feeling like hair spray? Do any curling shampoos work? Or are they made *for* people with curly hair so their hair doesnt frizz up. I air dry, never blow dry, and will not use a curling iron - I need my hair-styling to take less than 2 mins/day. Any suggestions for products?

I'm white. I've seen asian girls get wavy perms that look like this. I want that level of curliness, but without it looking so fake. Maybe it wouldn't look fake on someone who doesn't have pin-straight hair to begin with? Would it get all frizzy? Is it a good idea, or should I stick to hair products only? Would I still need to put stuff in my hair if I got something like that done? Let me know if you have white-people-hair and you've had this done.

Curly cutter wanted in LA

egeanin — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:18:11 -0800

Can anyone recommend a great hairstylist in Los Angeles who is particularly talented at cutting very curly hair? I am a woman who wears her hair in short, in natural ringlets, and I haven't been able to find a decent hairstylist in LA yet who actually knows how to cut very curly hair without making me look like a poodle.

I'm looking for names of specific hairstylists, along with the salons where they work. Bonus if it's a salon on the Westside of Los Angeles.

Thanks!!

How can I encourage the 10th of my hair that won't curl to do so?

gwenlister — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:11:11 -0800

Top of my head hair is straighter than the under hair of my head, which is fairly curly. What can I do/use to help the top hair be curlier? Please save me from my 30 minute routine of blow drying and flat ironing.... I have what I can only explain as 'combination hair'. The top layer of hair on my head is only slightly wavy, while the rest of my hair has a definite curl to it, forming nice compact curls with little to no effort. I have a whole lot of trouble getting the top hair to curl like the bottom hair without it looking stupid so for the past year+ I have resigned myself to three possibilities: blowdrying and flat ironing my hair straight every morning (which takes 30+ minutes), wearing it tied back (boring), or letting the hair curl but pulling the top hair back because it won't curl (which makes me look odd... trust me).

What I'd like to know is if any techniques or products that are out there that could help in my quest for uniformly curly hair. I do have and use a diffuser on the rare occasion I try to wear it curly, and it works amazingly well with the bottom hair, but again just makes my top hair look messy. I also have a curling iron like this which I have tried using on just the top hair to make it uniform, but it also looks ridiculous. I also got some layers cut into my hair, thinking that maybe it was the weight of the hair that was pulling it straighter, but it made only a slight difference.

Also, I am not willing to get a perm or anything like that. I am thinking more along the lines of a styling tool or technique or product I can use when I want it to curl.

Curly hair cut in Philly?

zeek321 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:59:08 -0800

Philly haircut? Male, thick, curly hair. It's time for my first haircut in Philly. I found this post from a couple years back. I usually have to go to two or three stylists before I get a good haircut in a new place, presumably because of the curly nature of my hair.

Does anyone have a recommendation for talented people between 40th and 1st street? I'm hoping for around $30-35, give or take, including tip. But, I'll go as low as $20 and would consider as high as $50 if he or she is beyond-belief skilled.

Thanks!

who does good haircuts for curly/wavy hair in toronto?

acorn — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:16:25 -0800

who does good haircuts for curly/wavy hair in toronto? i have short (4-6 in) curly/wavy hair. I want a funky unique cut. does anyone know of a toronto stylist who is great with curly hair and fun cuts? downtown, please.

help me get my hair did.

cilantro — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:04:38 -0800

Please help me find a still photo of the haircut from this Regina Spektor video (with or without the little fringe), and/or tell me how to explain to the hairdresser how I want it cut I haven't been to a hairdresser in at least 15 years. For me, a haircut involves dividing it into two tails, pulling them forward over my shoulders, and trimming them at about solar-plexus level. Since I have major curls any unevenness is hidden, but it's pretty boring unless I put it up and I want something with a more interesting shape that's still long.

Help me look even more like Little Orphan Annie

hamster — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:51:33 -0800

I'd like to find a reasonably-priced shampoo and conditioner for curly, color-treated hair. I pay a bit to have my reddish hair punched up a few levels, and I'd like to find a shampoo/conditioner that really works against fading reds. I also style my wavy hair curly half the time, and have been told that a curling shampoo will save me time in the styling process. Trouble, is I can't seem to find both in one bottle. A coworker has her cosmetology license and can take me to stylist's stores, but I'd like to know what to look for. Right now I'm using Boots shampoo/conditioner and like the $12-or-so range. Thanks in advance!