Top layer not curling, bottom layers are! What to do?

bottlered · 07-11-2005, 12:18 PM

I don't know if it's from color damage, as my colorist uses only semipermanent and glazes on it. It certainly isn't sun damage as I don't spend much time outside. It's always been much drier than the underlayers, no matter what, if I recall correctly.

What can I do? I'm considering sleeping with conditioner just on the upper layer - swirling it into a bun and pinning it up separate from the rest. Or, more drastically, a try of the Curly Girl routine. Thought there'd be a lot of downside for me: I'm the type that feels icky when I don't shampoo after exercise or even after being out in the heat briefly. i can't stand feeling the hairs on the nape of my neck get damp, much less having my entire scalp perspire. Because I have a ton of hair, fine though it is, I'm self-conscious about having it be "not so fresh." Guess I should read the book and see if there are ways to avoid that!

Plmk if you've ever experienced this and what you've found that helps...thank you!

Bottlered

PixieCurl · 07-11-2005, 04:35 PM

i have the opposite problem - my underneath layer is barely wavy and my top layer is curly. i'm not sure if doing CG has made my hair curlier or just healthier. i know some people have said it definitely makes their hair curlier though.

and when on CG, you don't not wash your hair - you just wash it with conditioner. it says in the book to conditioner-wash (scrubbing the scalp with conditioner, leaving in for a few minutes, then rinsing well) about once a week and to condition every day or as needed, but a lot of people co-wash a lot more than that and that's fine - it's still better than harsh detergents! my scalp definitely feels clean after a good co-wash.

another thing you could try is to use a curl-enhancing product on your top layer. some that come to mind are jessicurl rocking ringlets or gelebration, ag re:coil, or even a dab of honey mixed with your styling product.

bottlered · 07-11-2005, 10:31 PM

I'm considering a conditioner with tea tree oil - the Wen one is good but doesn't rinse out completely. Seems there are a ton of them out on the web. Thanks again!

curly_princess · 07-12-2005, 12:04 AM

A link that may help you a bit: http://naturallycurly2.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=55286

If you think the top layer isn't as curly because of damage, condition well. Try a deep treatment. Oil is good. I just buy my oil seperately; I like coconut and jojoba oil, but I haven't tried tea tree.

As for the CG washing thing, you can always try to find a shampoo that doesn't have sulfates, since they are what Massey discourages in a shampoo. It's a lot gentler on your hair, but you're still cleaning it.

HTH!

Kurlee · 07-25-2005, 12:25 AM

My hair is VERY curly underneath and the canopyin the back is less curly and likes to frizz (while I am frizz free underneath

).
I have started to carefully twist my hair in the back canopy when I put styling product in it. It stays curlier that way and I get a little less frizz. It doesn't work every time though.

My hair seems to be more fragile in the canopy in the back and I guess drier too. Not sure what to do about it. I guess I am looking for an answer about that still...

If I get layers cut in the back it looks a little better and some styling products work better than others.

cunninghamair · 08-04-2005, 06:58 PM

As far as exercising, you can still rinse hair in the shower--then condition. It was hard for me, but I promise my hair doesn't smell and I run three days a week. I try to arrange my weekly poo's around my long run on Sunday. Otherwise, you would be surprised what water can do.

08-05-2005, 09:38 AM

What do you use for shampoo? Maybe switching to a gentler shampoo; and, reducing the frequency of shampooing would help the canopy area of your hair. It has helped mine a lot. Moisture is the key for me in getting the canopy area to at least blend with the rest of my hair. I make sure I use a leave-in in this area no matter what and rinse upside down to leave some in as well. The honey rinse really seems to help too. Per Lushaholic's recommendation I just did a final honey rinse after conditioning today. I did not rinse it out and that really seemed to help with curl formation. Products that are helpful for me too are: AG re:coil mixed with LLL coco light, Jessicurl Gelebration, Devacurl Set-it-Free (only apply with hand not the sprayer), and, ORS lock & twist.

prettypolly · 08-06-2005, 02:00 AM

My hair is like this too. Curly, shiny, frizz-free underneath, then poofy straight/slight waves on top. Or was. The top got better after I stopped the sulfates and I actually had decent hair that I could wear down. It was still poofy but had a lot more definition that usual. I also think mine got better due to length.