BerryK

I'm new to NC and I've been browsing around trying to figure out what to do with my hair. I'm trying to decipher what things are the villains and heroes in the curly world that I should absolutely stay away from or lean towards. If it helps, I'm a 2b-2c with hair 2-3 inches below my shoulders.


So here's what I've heard:
-Texturizing, big NO NO.
-Protein is good for your hair..?
-NO silicones (still not really sure what that is yet...)
-Only use a blow-dryer if you use a diffuser (I thought that made your hair poofy?)
-Layers are good, right?

I'm ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS in the world of curls (just recently decided to embrace them, no more straightening or ponytails!) ,and I'd really appreciate anyone who can clear this up for me, so any comments or tips (even about things that I didn't mention) are greatly appreciated!

winnowill

Protein may be good for your hair or it may not. It depends on what your hair likes.
You do not want to use silicones. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong) The silicones will build up in your hair, making it dull and destroying curl. Pretty much the only thing that will wash it out is the sulfate shampoos. Sulfate will strip your hair of the natural oils and leave your hair dried out. It's like washing your hair with dishwashing liquid. (Compare labels and you'll see) You want moisture.
I use a diffuser. It does add volume which is part of what I want. Some people love it. Some not so much.
And also, don't pay as much attention to your curl pattern. To really find out what will work for your hair find out its porosity, elasticity, and texture. (Coarse, fine, etc.)

__________________
HAIR TYPE: 2B/2C
TEXTURE: Medium
POROSITY: Low
ELASTICITY: Low
DENSITY: Medium

mhen76

Welcome, BrenKnew! We were all rookies at this at one time or another. There is a ton of great info on these boards and it can be really overwhelming at first. Winnowill is correct in saying that it's important to learn about your hair properties. Describing yourself as 2b or 2c only describes your curl pattern. The tightness or size of your curl is not as helpful in deciding on products as knowing your hair properties. Here is a great link that may help you learn about your hair properties: Live Curly Live Free - Curly Hair Basics You'll see that fine hair and porous hair often love protein. Coarse or nonporous hair tend to hate it. Knowing your properties will tremendously help you in figuring out what kinds of products and ingredients will help you and what you should avoid.

It's still a very individual thing. What works for me may not work for someone with similar properties. Go figure. Lots of patience and experimenting involved.

Hang in there, keep reading, keep experimenting and be patient! It will all start to fall into place and make sense!

__________________
3B, fine, normal to low porosity
Modified CG since June 2010
HGs: FSG, anything with glycerin, Tresemme Naturals conditioner, Curls Like Us cloths, satin pillowcases.

adthomas

I agree with you on the protein.
I think silicones also depend on the individual hair. Some people have no problem with them. There are non sulfate shampoos that remove silicones. You just have to be sure to read the ingredients. The shampoos I like are more like clarifiers which are capable of removing cones although i dont use cones.
There is an article NC did awhile back on all the cones and what will remove it.

__________________
Transition your mind before you transition your hair.

kimmidawn

Texturizing in terms of thinning your hair with a razor is a definite no-no
•Protein can be good for your hair (some hair likes it like fine hair, some hair doesn't like coarse hair - most important thing is to know your hair properties: texture, porosity, and elasticity, and go from there - the site the above poster gave should help you figure those out) - also, if you can't figure out your properties, you can send your hair in to that site and have them determine your properties for you (it's what I did and it ended up being a great purchase)
•Some silicones are okay - there are a few articles on nc.com about silicones, including which ones to watch out for and which not to (for example, some silicones have the word "PEG" in front of them and are water soluble, so they're generally okay)
•Diffusers are great when it comes to using a blow dryer because it disperses the heat (instead of a straight shot of direct hot air, which could make your waves straight, it makes it so it's more gentle, so your waves can set up more - although some wavies do like air drying better)
•Layers are generally great - they make it so more waves are lighter (in terms of the hair weighing them down) and can spring up more easily

I know this is all a lot of information, so try not to overwhelm yourself...give yourself time to read and digest it...good luck

__________________
2b, fine texture, normal porosity & elasticity (CG as of 12/2011)

Low-poo: UFD Rich & Funky
Cowash: VO5 Kiwi Lime
RO: Tresemme Naturals, Aubrey Organics GPB, Ion Effective Care, MillCreek Keratin
PT/DT: IAgirl's PT, GVP CB
LI: KCKT, Cure Care, CJ CCCC Lite
Styling: Curl Keeper, As I Am Jelly, UFD Curly Magic, CJ Curl Queen, TIGI Strong Hold Mousse


http://public.fotki.com/kdawn12/


^^ day 1 of going CG; avatar = 6 months later