Scrunching with a t-shirt: before or after applying gel?

ambrosia77 · 09-13-2007, 12:42 PM

My hair really needs help boosting/lifting my curl up, otherwise I just have long lazy waves. Plopping helps but it makes my curl pattern weirdly deformed in the back, so I'm taking a break from plopping (and styling upside down in general).

Scrunching with a cotton t-shirt while bending over to the side does really help define the curls, but I can't decide if it's better to do this before or after applying my gel. I want to do whatever is better for increased clumping and holding the curl all day long.

I know that everyone says to apply product to super-wet hair, but if I do that and then scrunch several times with a t-shirt to remove the excess water and shape the curls, aren't I removing a lot of my product in the process?

What works for you all? Why is this so confusing to me? :-/

missy60 · 09-13-2007, 12:50 PM

I would apply most of my gel to soaking wet hair then use the t-shirt to scrunch out the water. I follow us with a small amount afterwards mostly over the canopy and scrunch a little to. I sometimes forget the second part and it really doesnt make much difference. If you dont like any crunch skip the second part because even with drying the gel is still on your hair

2happy · 09-13-2007, 01:57 PM

Having soaking wet hair, I give it one scrunch with my hands. Then apply my goop and give it maybe a few hand scrunches (so I can feel the distribution), then I take my t-shirt and do a semi-plop, just long enough to get out of the shower, dry off, etc. Then I remove the t-shirt and flip my hair over (the way it should be) and scrunch with the t-shirt.

So, I guess I scrunch with my t-shirt AFTER the gel.

DominicanaHeat · 09-13-2007, 02:14 PM

After.

RozettaStone · 09-13-2007, 03:25 PM

I've tried before, after, and both.

I seem to be settling in to a routine now where I do it after, since I'm again trying to squish all my product into very wet hair. I sometimes give a scrunch or two with my hands to get rid of some of the excess. I had worried that I was going to remove all the product with the towel by doing it after, but it doesn't seem to happen.
It's really a lot of trial & error, so don't let it frustrate you. A lot of us have to experiment for a long time until we are happy with it -- and then you get another product or another idea and you try it all sorts of ways all over again.

CurlyinColorado · 09-13-2007, 04:31 PM

After

Curlyzoo · 09-13-2007, 04:37 PM

After, too.

xcptnl · 09-14-2007, 06:04 AM

I scrunch with a tshirt after applying all my products-my hair is still very wet and before diffusing. When my hair is dry - I decrunchify with my hands only.

Suburbanbushbabe · 09-14-2007, 09:25 AM

I'm still experimenting and I've found it depends on the gel. Paul Mitchell Round Trip I can apply after. AOMM, before because my hair needs to be very wet.