I want big, bouncy and soft! Help my 2c/3a hair
 

I am pretty new to the process so I'm definitely just trying to figure out what my hair wants. I got the Devacut 2 1/2 weeks ago and I am really trying to commit to no more straightening to let the front pieces curl up more, I'm already seeing a difference. I did cave and straighten last weekend because I had a big public event and it just wasn't cooperating and it needed to look nice.

My current arsenal is in my sig, I'm playing around with all of it based on what my Deva stylist suggested and what I read here. Last few days I've gotten the best look with the following routine:
Condition and rinse upside down in the shower.
Cold rinse and rake in BLeave In
Scrunch in KCCC
Brush through with a Denman
Scrunch in a little BRHG
Plop 10-15 min
Some combo of airdry and Pixie Curl diffusing method- usually ends up heavier on the diffusing because I am just too impatient to wait hours on drying. SOTC

I am still not getting the BIG soft clumps I'm after. No matter what I do the curls still separate, especially at the ends into smaller defined curls and waves. I suspect this is still because of my diffusing, not sure what to do about that.

Have you tried the Super Soaker method? It seems to help a lot of folks get those big clumps. Here the link to the thread about it: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlta...ideo-link.html

I second the Super Soaker method recommendation.

Also, you could try homemade FSG. I am amazed at the curly clumps I get from using this stuff. It's cheap, easy to make, and it behaves like no product I've used before.

I follow the recipe in the first post of this thread: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlta...did-twice.html

For me, it works best if I don't do any raking after using it. I rake in my leave-in, and then smooth & scrunch in the FSG. If my clumps are looking small and stringy, I'll do the Super Soaker method to get them back together. Then scrunch some more to get rid of excess moisture, and scrunch in some hard-hold gel.

Thanks to both of you! I did look at the Super Soaker method a few days ago and then couldn't relocate the video tutorial so thank you for posting that. I am going to try that.
I'll try just about anything once, so I'll mess around with the flaxseed gel. Thanks!

The best way to choose ingredients/products is by hair properties. Here's a link to help you with yours Live Curly Live Free - Curly Hair Basics. Once you determine your properties, look for others with hair like yours and see what they use. It's the best place to start.

Around here, Deva is a love/hate line. Many of us start with it, think we like it and then move on to other things we like a lot better.

Yes, definitely feeling that way about the Deva curl. I think you quickly see that there are maybe better options in the same price range. I have a friend who uses DevaCurl and it has worked flawlessly for her for two years, so she's had no need to even venture out to find anything else. Lucky for her, but I don't think most of us are so lucky!

I think I have about the same hair type as you and have found soft, shiny, somewhat bouncy hair! The tricks for me have been to alternate products, put products in soaking wet hair, and dry under my good drier (or air dry) first, then diffuse. Products below! Best of luck to you:)

Sorry...thought my signature was on:)


2c/3a, s curly, fine hair

Daily- I rotate between loreal eversleek smoothing conditioner and HEHH, then i use suave naturals coconut conditioner as leave-in
For styling products, I rotate between these two sets:
Devacurl be'leavein before suave captivating curls whipped mousse then devacurl frizz free volumizing foam before devacurl angel

Occasionally (1-2 times/week)
Shampoo- l'oreal eversleek reparative smoothing shampoo
ACV

Summersover, thanks!!! I've used the suave mousse too- if that works best for you I'd say you know exactly what I'm after and we just have similar hair. :)
I grabbed a cheap soft bonnet at Sally's yesterday and it has completely changed my drying! Much faster, big curls, no frizz. I'm SOLD! The diffuser kept breaking up my chunks and making smaller curls and ruining what plopping was giving me!

Sounds familiar...however when I plop for more than like a minute, my curls don't clump and get stringy:( oh well!

The icequeen method worked really well at creating clumps for me, and I liked the feeling of working the conditioner into my hair for a while rather than just slathering it on and waiting for it to soak in.
I diffused right afterward, so the clumps sort of dissolved. I'm going to try it with air-drying instead to see if the clumps will hold.

I second the supersoaker method - basically anything you do to get more water in your hair when you add your product will help it clump naturally. RudeeChick says in her video that the idea is to create a sheet of hair and I think that's exactly what I find works best for me, too.

Also, this is something that I personally avoid - don't brush in the KCCC!!! I find that it starts to activate in my hair immediately, and if I brush it it yanks the clumps apart and they don't reset the same way. Anything else I brush in with my Denman clumps beautifully, but not the KCCC, it's like glue.

I also stopped diffusing because I found that my curls separated - instead I plop with a long sleeved cotton t-shirt for five or ten minutes, and then just air dry after that. It's not fun, but it makes a tremendous difference in my clumps!

Good luck and stick with it - a lot of this process is just trial and error :)

Hi, I think our hair is similar. I have been using similar products, but what I would suggest is using the Denman BEFORE the KCCC.

I've had great success this week with:
Co-wash
heavy conditioner and only partially rinse out by kind of "throwing" some water at the crown
Sealing with a dime amount of jojoba oil while still in the shower
Brushing out with Denman
Apply KCCC OR KC Coil Jam
Scrunch out moisture with towel
Scrunch in liberal amount of gel or mousse
Diffuse
SOTC

If I use BRHG as the gel in the last step, I mix it with a little aloe gel so I can still SOTC. I am liking Deva Arc Angel for gel, or HETT mousse for this step.

Thanks!