My Hair Used to be gorgeously curly and relatively Frizz Free - No More ;( Help!

MITHRIL · 05-31-2009, 10:26 AM

I used to have this lovely mass of curly hair which used to be on most days - frizz free except a few days.
I use to use shampoos and conditioners without being too finicky (L'oreal, Pantene mostly). Since 9 months or so, not only has it turned frizzy and unruly (everyday!) but the curls have disappeared and my hair is awfully wavy (the bad kind). I haven't changed my diet, so don't think it can be that. No lifestyle change. No climate change...staying in the same city. I have tried to cut my hair short with layers but nothing has worked. I have tried umpteen number of curly hair products from shampoos to conditioners to frizz free leave ons - to no avail ;( (John Freida, Kerastase, Loreal Curl products, etc).

Please help!!!! They were my only assets!

Boomygrrl · 05-31-2009, 11:08 AM

I don't know if they are your only assets, but I bet they were great assets nevertheless.
Since your hair did fine for most of your life using these products, I'm not going to recommend any major changes, unless you wanna go that route. If you read about doing the "Curly Girl" method, you'll find another way to take care of your hair.
But you probably can continue doing what you're doing, but with a few minor changes so it can get back to being fabulous like it used to be.
I would recommend getting a clarifying shampoo. It sounds like you have product build-up. Shampoo your hair very very well with the clarifying shampoo. Do that once every week or once every two weeks.
Do everything else the same, and see if that works.
If you try that for a few times and it hasn't worked, then you might want to consider other ways to care for your hair that is suggested on these boards. (limit or cut out sulfates, using non-sulfate shampoo or light conditioner without cones to wash hair, avoiding silicone or at least heavy ones, paying attention to protein and glycerin, etc. etc.)
Good luck!

redcelticcurls · 05-31-2009, 11:16 AM

More than likely, your routine just isn't working for you anymore.

Long term use of silicones and sulfates and wreak havoc on curls and turn them into frizz.

Many here follow some version of what is called the cg (curly girl/guy) method that eliminates certain types of ingredients to help restore hair health which results in your curls returning.

Here is a great guide on how to do the method.

Here is a thread from this site on the Newbies forum discussing the method. It would also he helpful to check out the Newbies forum to read up on some of the basic hair care info there. It will be mind boggling for a while, but it does start to make sense after some time.

For a great ebook that describes how to care for hair based on your hairs individual needs, check this link. It can take some time getting used to analyzing your hair in such a manner, but, once you get it, it makes product selection a little easier, especially when coupled with advice here.

What I cannot give you is advice for a quick fix, because, IMO, there really isn't one. Curly hair needs some attention, and many products mask the problems as opposed to actually helping them. And, even if a product is of good quality, it may not be appropriate for your hair texture, so it is helpful to learn about things such as hair texture and porosity.