Matthew-James - 17 July 2012 12:33 PM

Hello Hannah,
As a finishing product for added shine, I’ll use Devacurl’s Mirror Curls which is a silicone free serum. Devacurl hve also just released a hairspray which I’ve noticed adds a lot of shine to the hair too. But it does have a hold to it and it is designed for putting curls into updo’s rather than an everyday use hairspray.

The best way to encourage shine is making sure when you’re applying conditioner you’re really smoothing down the cuticle of your hair. Smooth hair will reflect the light much like a mirror. If you’re not spending a little time combing the conditioner through with your fingers your quest for shine will always be in vain.

Thanks Matthew, I’ll try fingering my conditioner through a little more than I usually do & see if that adds more shine.  I’ll also see if I can source some Mirror Curls from Amazon as well.  Hannah

apparentlyblue - 17 July 2012 02:43 PM

Matthew-James - 12 July 2012 08:57 AM

apparentlyblue - 06 July 2012 01:57 PM

Hi Matthew, I’m a lazy curly girl who doesn’t want to co-wash every day but still needs lots of daily moisture. My waves are well preserved for a few days when I pineapple and my roots don’t get greasy easily so I don’t want to have to co-wash when I don’t need to. I know some curlies water wash and just use their rinse out daily, but the idea of going through plopping, product-ing, clipping, diffusing and airdrying daily when my hair is not dirty makes me feel faint!
My hair is very porous and loses moisture very easily and I cannot imagine that a spritz of water and conditioner could be enough to refresh it. What would you recommend as the best way of supercharging it with moisture between co-washes?

That’s a really good question. You certainly don’t need to co wash if you don’t need to. Depending on the type of product you use, each morning when you spritz it over with a little water, will you reactive the gel? That’s normally what I get people to do. With a little water you’ll get the curls back, reactive the gel, once fully dry scrunch the gel out and away you go. If you make up some Lavander water spray you could mix it with some leave in condtioner. Then when you spritz it through you’re also delivering a moisture kick to the ends when it seems dryer. Why are your ends so porous? Is it chemically damaged? Not been cut in so long? If so then that might need to be addressed before you’re fully happy with your curls.

If you’re feeling that water and conditioner isn’t enough for you then rather than co washing all your hair, wet the ends down and co wash just your ends. It’s not ideal I know but until your hair gets the moisture it needs it won’t get any better (as long as its just natural and not damaged by chemicals, straighteners etc)

Very helpful advice as always! Thanks! I have a new question today though:

I’m a wavy instead of a curly - about 2b with a few 2as. I’m not in need of a trim but a few of my clumps are looking thin and raggedy at the ends. I think this is due to the shape my hair has been cut into and that the layering tapers away at the end of these clumps making them appear thin and wispy. I want to trim just these few bits back in to shape but I’m scared! I have read about the protocol for home cutting curls but I’m sure I have also read on these forums somewhere about how this does not really work as well for waves. As these sections are mostly my 2a bits do you have any guidance for adapting the dry cutting technique for a few loose wave clumps?

You’re right, with a much softer, wave rather than curl it is more difficult as you don’t have a defined “C” to cut on. Plus it cutting it on the “C” of the curl can take too much length off. It’s hard to explain over a typed message board but basically you need to look more at the angle of the scissors when you’re cutting. The angle is more important to allow the curl to fall as you want it to rather than at sticking out in an unruley way

I appreciate the difficulty explaining through a message board how to angle the scissors! Does Lorraine’s book go into detail with how to cut waves or is the focus purely on curls? I wonder if there are any videos, but this difference between cutting curls and waves is something I have only seen mentioned on forums…

Hi Matthew

Can you please recommend a really good treatment for my dry, brittle curls? I’ve had a good look on the Curly Emporium and I’m abit like rabbit in headlights as I have no idea which one to buy.

Also, my friend is helping me highlight my hair blonde next week. I know that bleach will dry my hair out even more but I don’t really suit darker hair. Can you please recommend a good highlighting kit?

Thank you loads

Sophie

I noticed you use the devacurl range at the moment. If you’re getting on really well with that range then get their deep conditioner called Heaven In Hair.

If you want to stay away from Devacurl then look for something that has an essential oil in it. There’s one on here which the name escapes me at the moment, I’ll speak to Keisha That has avacado oil in that very good. Curl junkie coco creme is a nice rich conditioner too which can also be used as a styling product.

With regards your colour, is your friend a professional? If so I would recommend the platinium as it as the kindest “bleaching” agent. It isn’t a bleach but the creme is much kinder on the hair and lifts just like a bleach.

If your friend isn’t and you’re planning on doing it on your own, not with a professional then I can’t help you. Colouring your own hair is one thing but personally you’re taking the law into your own hands bleaching and highlighting. It’s a completely different kettle of fish. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to bleach their own hair. It’s a salon job, that way it’s in a controlled environment and there less that can go wrong. If (heaven forbid) something did go wrong then you have a place to go back to to make sure it’s put right.

Hi Matthew

Thank you for all your advice. I’ll give those products a go.

Hi Matthew James!

I’m a newbie on this site so hopefully I get this right!

This is just a general query about curly upkeep.

I’ve only been a curly girl for about 5 or so years as my hair started curling in my mid teens. Both my mum and sister have straight hair (plus don’t care about hair at all) and all my friends either have straight hair or straighten it so I’ve never really had anyone to ask what to do with my hair it has to be said! Also, i have had more bad experiences at hairdressers than good as the general consensus seems to be that i should be blow-drying and straightening my hair to keep it “under control”. I have never liked having product on my hair and prefer having it curling naturally rather than trying to fight it into someone else’s idea of acceptable. I have just recently finally found a hairdresser who knows how to cut curly hair and believes in working with what nature gave you (which is a breath of fresh air!) however, the problem I’m having is I’m not entirely sure how to go about working with what I’ve got..

My hair is quite fine but in pretty good condition, with mostly gentle curls with the occasional corkscrew curl appearing here and there. My curls tend to be quite fragile, in that not all of my hair curls all the time and i sometimes end up with random straight bits. I am a student so can’t afford expensive products plus generally prefer “naked hair”.  My care routine at the moment is brush my hair just before i get in the shower, shampoo and condition it (with Simple shampoo and conditioner as i have very sensitive skin), hop out, wrap it in a towel then roughly sort out my parting and leave it to dry naturally, sometimes winding a few strands round my fingers while it’s still damp to encourage the curls. It generally turns out quite nice, but generally it tends to be a bit fluffy with the occasional time that i just end up with a head full of fluff. Am i doing anything wrong or is there anything else i should be doing?

Thanks very much for your time!

x

Hi Matthew

I’ve been doing CG about a month now still fairly new to the process and I need to get a hair cut because my hair has gotten quite long since i got it cut short back in May (emma watson pixie style). When it comes to going to a salon what is to be done since they use shampoo. That would make me start the while process over again.
Also recently I realized that my hair needed more moisture and what can be done to fight frizz? Lastly I’ve heard about the Tangle Teezer being used would the be better to use, than finger combing?

My hair profile is in signature for more information.

KatNip15 - 31 July 2012 10:57 AM

Hi Matthew James!

I’m a newbie on this site so hopefully I get this right!

This is just a general query about curly upkeep.

I’ve only been a curly girl for about 5 or so years as my hair started curling in my mid teens. Both my mum and sister have straight hair (plus don’t care about hair at all) and all my friends either have straight hair or straighten it so I’ve never really had anyone to ask what to do with my hair it has to be said! Also, i have had more bad experiences at hairdressers than good as the general consensus seems to be that i should be blow-drying and straightening my hair to keep it “under control”. I have never liked having product on my hair and prefer having it curling naturally rather than trying to fight it into someone else’s idea of acceptable. I have just recently finally found a hairdresser who knows how to cut curly hair and believes in working with what nature gave you (which is a breath of fresh air!) however, the problem I’m having is I’m not entirely sure how to go about working with what I’ve got..

My hair is quite fine but in pretty good condition, with mostly gentle curls with the occasional corkscrew curl appearing here and there. My curls tend to be quite fragile, in that not all of my hair curls all the time and i sometimes end up with random straight bits. I am a student so can’t afford expensive products plus generally prefer “naked hair”.  My care routine at the moment is brush my hair just before i get in the shower, shampoo and condition it (with Simple shampoo and conditioner as i have very sensitive skin), hop out, wrap it in a towel then roughly sort out my parting and leave it to dry naturally, sometimes winding a few strands round my fingers while it’s still damp to encourage the curls. It generally turns out quite nice, but generally it tends to be a bit fluffy with the occasional time that i just end up with a head full of fluff. Am i doing anything wrong or is there anything else i should be doing?

Thanks very much for your time!

x

Good morning!
It sounds like you’re doing most things right but there are a few little “tweaks” you can do that will improve your curl. Firstly, don’t brush your hair. You’ll pull the curl out and potentially snap hair, especially since you are describing your hair as fine and your curl as fragile.
Secondly, as soon as you’re out the shower and your hair is dripping wet, sort your parting out then. Messing with your hair while its drying will cause frizz. And lastly use either a t-shirt or microfibre travel towel to wrap your hair up in instead of a normal towel. Both the t-shirt and microfibre towel are a softer, smoother cotton that wont get tangled up in your hair.

Random straight bits and combo curls are quite normal. Get your hairdresser to cut the straighter bits into the shape of your curls so the blend in and disappear, but they will grow back through eventually.

I know you like to wear your hair product free but a styling gel ( a good one) will help define and keep your curls under control and frizz free. The right gel too will disappear into the hair too so it wont feel like you have product in. But thats your preference.

I hope i’ve helped

Matt

Arata - 04 August 2012 02:50 AM

Hi Matthew

I’ve been doing CG about a month now still fairly new to the process and I need to get a hair cut because my hair has gotten quite long since i got it cut short back in May (emma watson pixie style). When it comes to going to a salon what is to be done since they use shampoo. That would make me start the while process over again.
Also recently I realized that my hair needed more moisture and what can be done to fight frizz? Lastly I’ve heard about the Tangle Teezer being used would the be better to use, than finger combing?

My hair profile is in signature for more information.

Arata,
Im against using combs of all types including the tangle tease. Be patient and thorough and you will be much kinder to your curls. But i get your pain. I had a curl in only this week with the same texture hair to you. It took me 45 minutes just to finger comb the conditioner through her hair it was so matted with dead hair through the back. By the time i had finished there was such a huge ball of hair, you could have put it in a cage with a bowel of food and people would have thought it was an animal. But once you’ve got on top of it, looking after your hair should be much easier.

With your question about salons and their shampoo you have 3 options. First, to insist you take your own sulphate free products with you and they use those. Two find a curl friendly hairstylist who has sulphate and silicone free products or thirdly if none of the above work out for you. A teaspoon of baking soda in with your next shampoo will help remove the silicones and sulphates. But that should be your last option. You don’t want to have to take a step backwards at the convenience of a hairdresser using their own products which are not right for you.

Matt

Thanks Matthew, Now i know to bring my Co-wash products with me to the salon since i only use conditioner

Hi Matthew!

Thank you so much for helping us curlies!

I have been having bleach highlights for many years and although my hair is not in bad condition i do really want to step away from having tiny foil highlights. Do you recommend balayage for curly hair? I really want to break up the blonde as the highlights have made my hair more of a block blonde over the years so it lacks any definition. I was blonde as a child so have always been blonde but i would be happy to mix it up with darker colours/caramels etc.. My hairdresser did break it up my adding brown lowlights but they were too small and my hair just looked like a bit wishy washy in colour and a bit greyish mixed with the blonde.

See attached my edited image of the wishy washy colour (second photo)

Luckily this colour faded after a few weeks so it looks ok now but just too blonde (first photo)

thanks

Aimee

Hello Amiee, lovely to ear from you. Devachan in New York have their own method called Pentura which when watching the technique seems to be based on balayage where they literally paint the curls which will creat depth or lightness depending on the effect you want. It was lovely to watch.

I don’t colour hair personally, with my training years ago we had to pick one or the other (cutting or colouring) and I chose cutting. Ben though I got to see the pentura technique I don’t do it not do I know anyone else who does in the UK at present.

The guys at the salon where I work who do the colouring for me use the standard foil techniques which are great, but personally I would love to have someone who is trained with devachan’s Pentura method.

So yes the closest here would be the balayage where they should paint each curl for you.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. Best keep looking for a good curly hair colourist then :-(

thanks

Aimee

Hi Matthew

This is such a great service you offer, coming on an answering all of our queries! I just posted a new topic but then realised you might have some good advice for me as well.

I have an annoying cowlick on my crown, toward the back left of my head. It causes the hair to stand up and do other annoying things (spiral around, show my scalp, part half way down the back of my head etc etc!). Currently I part my hair just to left of centre, so the left side has less hair to begin with.

I’m considering trying to switch my part to the right, so that the left will become the heavier side and (hopefully!) the extra hair from the right will hide the annoying cowlick.

I have fine, thin hair, so it’s really obvious just now, especially on second and third day hair.

Do you think moving the parting might help? Or do you have any other thoughts about how I could tame this stupid patch of unruly hair?? My hair has parted where it is for years, and I’m wondering if it will even be possible to force a change now…!