need more hold for curls, tips?

curlyjocelyn · 04-29-2012, 02:41 AM

Hi there,

I have a question, my curltype is 2B (most of the days

) and I started with CG a year ago, since a few weeks I really dropped the bad ingredients like minerals

. I'm from the Netherlands and there aren't many CG-friendly stuff in the shops so I'll buy most of them from Amazon.

When I washed my hair, I squeeze out some water and put Giovanni Direct leave-in in my hair ( my hair is proteincraving). With a microfiber towel I srunch my hair and I have really nice curls. I put Jessicurl celebration spray in my hair, Ecostyler gel and scrunch it and a really beautiful curl pattern is showing. When I let it airdry the curlpattern is lost so I've tried plopping. I had really defined curls when I let my hair airdry after about 30 minutes of plopping (short plopping doesn't work for me). But then again my curls don't hold. So I need more hold I think, but I've tried like everything (biosilk hard rock gelee) but it doesn't seem to hold either.
Do I need more gel then I already use, or are there some other techniques/products I could benefit from?

I've also tried applying products to soaking wet hair but it didn't hold any product what so ever. I really prefer Airdrying, because Diffusing makes my hair a bit dry, even when I diffuse it with cooling air afterwards.

It's really frustrating because I know I have natural curls( when I was a kid I had really nice Boticelli curls ). When my hair is wet I have really good wave pattern 2C but it doesn't seem to hold. I hope there's someout out here who can help me!

Chikyuu · 04-29-2012, 03:01 AM

Have you tried diffusing with cold or warm air until your hair is 60-80% dry? I dry my hair about 50% of the way with cool air, then I do a once-over with the warm air to kind of tighten the wave/curl pattern and give it more shape and volume.

curly_em · 04-29-2012, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chikyuu

Have you tried diffusing with cold or warm air until your hair is 60-80% dry? I dry my hair about 50% of the way with cool air, then I do a once-over with the warm air to kind of tighten the wave/curl pattern and give it more shape and volume.

I do the same thing!

I've always been against diffusing because my hair always looked frizzy and dry afterwards. Now that I've been Cg for almost 5 months, my hair is so much healthier!

I diffuse sections of my hair on the cool setting until the gel cast has set and then blast each section with a warmer setting for a few seconds to set the curl. Now that I see what curl potential my hair has with the diffuser it is hard for me to let it air dry and look as limp as it does. I'm hoping that with warmer weather my hair will look better after air drying.

missbanjo · 04-29-2012, 07:52 AM

Curlyjocelyn,
I might not be much help, BRHG is the only thing that I use regularly that gives me good hold after SOTC.
Have you tried adding honey to your hold gel (or making a gel/gelly with honey)? It gives me severe crunch so I have to scrunch with an oil/butter but the hold stays. I don't use it a lot because the dews here are low most of the year and it's a humectant. Agave nectar works in a similar manner. Kinky-Curly Curling Custard has agave in it and a lot of curlies like it.

rapunzel4ever · 04-29-2012, 10:09 AM

Hi fellow dutch (2B) curly! I use Etos Solid Power gel for good hold. It's very cheap and CG!
In wet hair I use a curl enhancer like KMS Curl Up mousse/ Jessicurl Gelebration Spray/ Aloë vera gel, then plop while putting body lotion on. (5 min?) Scrunch the hair a bit more dry if neccesairy.
Then I scrunch in three nutsizes of Etos Solid Power Gel, plop for about 15 min., scrunch with a cotton diaper/ jersey cloth, then pixiediffuse until almost dry. SOTC when it's completely dry with a tiny bit of AVG.

The Etos gel worked for me with waist length hair and still does with (now) bra strap length hair.

Chikyuu · 04-29-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curly_em

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chikyuu

Have you tried diffusing with cold or warm air until your hair is 60-80% dry? I dry my hair about 50% of the way with cool air, then I do a once-over with the warm air to kind of tighten the wave/curl pattern and give it more shape and volume.

I do the same thing!

I've always been against diffusing because my hair always looked frizzy and dry afterwards. Now that I've been Cg for almost 5 months, my hair is so much healthier!

I diffuse sections of my hair on the cool setting until the gel cast has set and then blast each section with a warmer setting for a few seconds to set the curl. Now that I see what curl potential my hair has with the diffuser it is hard for me to let it air dry and look as limp as it does. I'm hoping that with warmer weather my hair will look better after air drying.

Thiiiiiissssss

curlyjocelyn · 05-08-2012, 12:21 AM

Him thanks for al the great suggestions!

I have found a new routine that seems to work. I've discovered al my products contained Protein, so I've replaced my gel for the Etos solid gel, and wow there seems almost as much hold als BHRG

My hair is now drying but really with nice hold, and since my wavy hair is always plain flat on top, I'm expirementing a little with clipping. I also plop for 20 minutes instead of 45 minutes or 5 minutes (really tried many ways of times for plopping

).

diffusing simply doesn't work for me, two years ago I've bought a really expensive hair dryer with diffuser, but it really isn't good for my waves pattern. It gives more volume to my hair, but that's really it. Even if my hairdresser is drying my hair with a diffuser it turns out eh... non-wavy

plunkybug · 05-08-2012, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyjocelyn

Him thanks for al the great suggestions!

I have found a new routine that seems to work. I've discovered al my products contained Protein, so I've replaced my gel for the Etos solid gel, and wow there seems almost as much hold als BHRG

My hair is now drying but really with nice hold, and since my wavy hair is always plain flat on top, I'm expirementing a little with clipping. I also plop for 20 minutes instead of 45 minutes or 5 minutes (really tried many ways of times for plopping

).

diffusing simply doesn't work for me, two years ago I've bought a really expensive hair dryer with diffuser, but it really isn't good for my waves pattern. It gives more volume to my hair, but that's really it. Even if my hairdresser is drying my hair with a diffuser it turns out eh... non-wavy

Have you tried the pixiecurl method of diffusing? This is where, with the dryer OFF, you gather some hair into the diffuser, bring it close to the head, turn ON the dryer for 30-60 seconds, turn OFF the dryer, move to a new section and repeat. The idea here is that you are not disturbing the hair with the air from the dryer while you are moving it around.

Lizzrd · 05-08-2012, 02:09 PM

Just want to run in and say how much I love this thread! Be back when I can chat!

Sent from my mobile device using Tapatalk.

bluebonnet · 05-12-2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plunkybug

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyjocelyn

Him thanks for al the great suggestions!

I have found a new routine that seems to work. I've discovered al my products contained Protein, so I've replaced my gel for the Etos solid gel, and wow there seems almost as much hold als BHRG

My hair is now drying but really with nice hold, and since my wavy hair is always plain flat on top, I'm expirementing a little with clipping. I also plop for 20 minutes instead of 45 minutes or 5 minutes (really tried many ways of times for plopping

).

diffusing simply doesn't work for me, two years ago I've bought a really expensive hair dryer with diffuser, but it really isn't good for my waves pattern. It gives more volume to my hair, but that's really it. Even if my hairdresser is drying my hair with a diffuser it turns out eh... non-wavy

Have you tried the pixiecurl method of diffusing? This is where, with the dryer OFF, you gather some hair into the diffuser, bring it close to the head, turn ON the dryer for 30-60 seconds, turn OFF the dryer, move to a new section and repeat. The idea here is that you are not disturbing the hair with the air from the dryer while you are moving it around.

I second this ^^ I actually didn't know there was any other way to diffuse, and have always done it pixie-style (since my friend who showed me how to diffuse did it like that too). Definitely try it if you haven't yet.

rapunzel4ever · 05-14-2012, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluebonnet

Quote:

Originally Posted by plunkybug

Quote:

Originally Posted by curlyjocelyn

Him thanks for al the great suggestions!

I have found a new routine that seems to work. I've discovered al my products contained Protein, so I've replaced my gel for the Etos solid gel, and wow there seems almost as much hold als BHRG

My hair is now drying but really with nice hold, and since my wavy hair is always plain flat on top, I'm expirementing a little with clipping. I also plop for 20 minutes instead of 45 minutes or 5 minutes (really tried many ways of times for plopping

).

diffusing simply doesn't work for me, two years ago I've bought a really expensive hair dryer with diffuser, but it really isn't good for my waves pattern. It gives more volume to my hair, but that's really it. Even if my hairdresser is drying my hair with a diffuser it turns out eh... non-wavy

Have you tried the pixiecurl method of diffusing? This is where, with the dryer OFF, you gather some hair into the diffuser, bring it close to the head, turn ON the dryer for 30-60 seconds, turn OFF the dryer, move to a new section and repeat. The idea here is that you are not disturbing the hair with the air from the dryer while you are moving it around.

I second this ^^ I actually didn't know there was any other way to diffuse, and have always done it pixie-style (since my friend who showed me how to diffuse did it like that too). Definitely try it if you haven't yet.

Glad the Etos gel is working for you too!
The pixie method is really worth the effort, in my experience.

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