How long did your hair improve for after you went CG?

DachshundLover · 07-05-2012, 12:20 AM

Hi! I am a 2B with maybe a little 2C, and I have been mod-CG for a little over 2 months. My hair has gotten much softer and the frizz is much better, and the wave has been a little stronger. I was just wondering if you guys had gotten your most drastic results by this point or if it took longer for you. Thanks for your responses in advance (:

proudcurlygirly · 07-05-2012, 04:16 AM

I know it varies from person to person doing the CG method, but for me, (after an initial 'greasy' stage), I noticed a difference where I had improvement at about 6-8 weeks. I was ready to throw in the towel after about week 2-3, but I'm glad I persevered with it.

Corrina777 · 07-05-2012, 06:26 AM

I started out full CG in November and by January was more modified CG. I'm still learning about my hair. For me, I had the initial "wow" of soft hair and minimal frizz, then I felt like I hit a plateau for a while. Then I discovered protein treatments (it turned out that my hair is fine, not medium-coarse as I had imagined) and had my next "wow", where I was seeing more consistent curls. Then things plateaued again until after I got my Devacut. Since then I've also been learning to handle NY summers, which include obnoxious dew points and humidity.

kimmidawn · 07-05-2012, 08:16 AM

I have been CG since December 2011 and I still feel like my hair is improving (you can see the transformation in my fotki which is in my signature). I think the combination of change in seasons, plus still learning about your hair can result in your hair improving long after you go CG

wavymom · 07-05-2012, 11:03 AM

I have been CG for one year now, and am STILL learning and improving! But I love it! I saw major results early on, in the first month or two, then really plateaued and even declined after that (hello overconditioning!) then finally, after months discovered protein treatments and started to see major results again. Still learning and discovering new things about my hair. It has come A LONG way over the past year, but I'm guessing I can still improve yet more with more time following CG! My waves & curls keep getting a little tighter and a little healthier each month. Now I'm not necessarily going for more curl, just more consistency and predictability.

DachshundLover · 07-05-2012, 09:30 PM

Thanks for the replies! So are protein treatments mostly for fine hair? My hair is coarse without a doubt.

wavymom · 07-05-2012, 09:50 PM

Generally yes, PTs are for fine or medium hair. You may be able to do some protein in your products, but you'll have to just figure that out as you go. A lot of protein-sensitive people can use keratin, which I think is considered one of the more gentle proteins. If you're curious about protein, try incorporating it via one product in your regimen first. If no bad effects, you can build up and try more from there.

earthnut · 07-05-2012, 10:55 PM

Once I found the right products, it only took a day. Took a long time to find the right products though.

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2c/3a-M-ii porous, good elasticity, APL, dark brown with a silver lining. Biggest enemy: frizz!

DachshundLover · 07-06-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavymom

Generally yes, PTs are for fine or medium hair. You may be able to do some protein in your products, but you'll have to just figure that out as you go. A lot of protein-sensitive people can use keratin, which I think is considered one of the more gentle proteins. If you're curious about protein, try incorporating it via one product in your regimen first. If no bad effects, you can build up and try more from there.

Do some people with coarse hair respond well to PT's? I use Eco Styler Gel, which contains a "hydrolyzed wheat protein," and have no problems. It helps my curl out some and prevents frizz.

lcl0706 · 07-06-2012, 01:14 PM

^^ How do you know your hair is coarse? It may not really be coarse. I'd be really surprised if it is and is responding well to protein on a regular basis.

ETA - To answer the original question, my hair's been improving for over a year and still has a long way to go.

DachshundLover · 07-06-2012, 02:49 PM

It is very thick, as are the individual strands. Some are very kinky, and others have even described some of them as - for lack of a better word - nappy. My hair is brown, but often times when a pulled-out hair is growing back it is black at the root and kind of crazy. I'd be very surprised if my hair is not "coarse!"

lcl0706 · 07-06-2012, 02:58 PM

Totally possible it is! Maybe the protein in EcoStyler isn't a high enough concentration to bother you. Usually coarse hair gets strawlike with protein but maybe wheat protein is a good one for you. Or maybe it's porous enough to benefit from it. Or maybe it's another ingredient in the EcoStyler helping with the frizz. Hey curly hair doesn't always play by the rules

DachshundLover · 07-06-2012, 03:05 PM

I would guess porosity, because it can absorb almost any oil, conditioner, whatever without looking greasy. But I'm still so new to this! Thanks for your ideas!

earthnut · 07-06-2012, 04:11 PM

Hair coarseness describes the thickness of individual strands, not the thickness of a ponytail (that's your hair density, or number of hairs on your head). It's not uncommon to have high density, very fine hair. (Or low density, coarse hair.)

If you have coarse hair, an individual strand will be as thick a sewing thread. You can see the individual strands from across a room.

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2c/3a-M-ii porous, good elasticity, APL, dark brown with a silver lining. Biggest enemy: frizz!

lcl0706 · 07-06-2012, 04:57 PM

+1 to that. You said the individual strands were thick, and you could be right. But i know I was surprised to learn I had fine hair. I had no clue what coarse strands really meant. I would still be surprised if yours was truly coarse yet did well with regular protein.

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DachshundLover · 07-06-2012, 10:12 PM

I envy people with thick, fine hair. Mine just doesn't behave nor look that way. The individual strands are thick. I may have some mix of medium/coarse, but it is in no way fine.

Corrina777 · 07-07-2012, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DachshundLover

I envy people with thick, fine hair. Mine just doesn't behave nor look that way. The individual strands are thick. I may have some mix of medium/coarse, but it is in no way fine.

There's another wavy who also has coarse (maybe medium/coarse?) hair. She's commented that she looks at the other hair type forums and gets a lot of useful stuff from other places because it doesn't seem that there are a lot of coarse-haired wavies.

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earthnut · 07-07-2012, 09:04 AM

I don't doubt you, I just want to be sure we're all using the same definitions.

My hair is pretty middle of the road but it's on the coarse side and the porous side. Hair coarseness, porosity, and elasticity all effect how your hair responds to protein, so I wouldn't find it too surprising if your coarse hair liked protein if it's also very porous. If your hair has been damaged a lot in the past, it may need extra protein. You may find that once your hair has been saturated in protein, it may not like protein so much anymore. My hair got a lot less porous after a protein treatment (natures gate conditioners) and it hasn't liked protein so much since.

But in time it'll probably need protein again.

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2c/3a-M-ii porous, good elasticity, APL, dark brown with a silver lining. Biggest enemy: frizz!

DachshundLover · 07-07-2012, 09:40 PM

I had been straightening/curling my hair almost every day for about 3 years. So my biggest issue has been canopy frizz/straightness, and that's probably why it is accepting the protein right now. Thanks for the advice (:

Tili · 07-08-2012, 03:39 PM

I have very coarse 2c hair. I get a little confused sometimes because it's true that a lot of the advice on the wavy forum isn't for coarse hair. Maybe someone should start a class hair thread in the 2 forum. Share what works for you. I used coconut milk in a DT and liked the results. I do think my hair might be somewhat porous, that still confuses me too.