My cousin is turning 16 and was griping about her hair going curly when she hit puberty. I wanted to get her that book - about how to care for curly hair. Wasn't there buzz about that here a while back?

Also, any hair care products for her? She has super tight ringlets now, and it used to be straight - funky, huh? :)

I don't know anythign bout the books but I'm digging the products at Sunsilk GetHairapy.com (http://www.gethairapy.com/)

I love the green no frizz stuff

Here is the book:
Amazon.com: Curly Girl: Books: Lorraine Massey,Deborah Chiel (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Lorraine-Massey/dp/0761123008/sr=8-1/qid=1161125084/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4967255-9374322?ie=UTF8)

I highly recommend it! I love it for my curly hair. It covers all three types of curls-- from wavy to tight and all lengths also.

hth...

Oh my!! I was just coming to post about a great book called "Curly Girl: The Handbook" !! I have been letting my hair naturally curl for about 8 mos now, and I feel so real and free! My hair is extra wavy, and letting it go has freed me! The book "Curly Girl" is full of tips on washing (or not), conditioning, cutting etc etc etc.

I picked it up thinking it wasn't going to adress my needs, but it *so* does!!! Down to how to part. I nearly cried the first time I read it. I had been doing so many of these things that are good for curls, but I felt unruly. However, the book even addresses that! I had long ago gotten sulky about hairdressers blowing my hair straight, and this book gave me extra courage.

Of course, I have had many days of feeling anger at poor hairdressers who hacked at me, not understanding my hair! It's sad, but I'm letting that go.

The authors are Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel. *All* curly-haired girls need this book!!

So, ok, run do not walk.

Right now I am using Bumble conditioner for thick, curly hair. I love it.

Here is the book:
Amazon.com: Curly Girl: Books: Lorraine Massey,Deborah Chiel (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Lorraine-Massey/dp/0761123008/sr=8-1/qid=1161125084/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4967255-9374322?ie=UTF8)

I highly recommend it! I love it for my curly hair. It covers all three types of curls-- from wavy to tight and all lengths also.

hth...

Yeah that!!

It rocks.

I am a bit upset it has taken me so long to get good info on my loverly locks. :hbeat:

I knew there was a book! :)
Yahoo! Thanks.

I told her "you need to EMBRACE the curls - don't fight them!" (She was flat ironing but it takes *forevah* to do it)

Any other product recommendations? I'd love to find her a really good serum or something to smooth through for frizzies. :) (particularly something I can get local-to-me - like at Beauty Brands or similar)

Yep, I got that book from ebay or half.com. LOVE IT!

I also visited http://naturallycurly2.com/home/index.php. It helps a lot.

As far as product, depends on the hair and both the book and this site will help. There really isn't one product that works wel for everyone.

Pretty much, a conditioner and a clear gel is all I use.
OH, and no heating tools or dryer. Just a towel for plopping.

i've never seen that book before...interesting. i've got curly hair although it isn't as curly as it was when i was younger. in late elementary school it was downright nappy...now it can easily be blown straight.

i use curls rock serum stuff...

Is there any particular thing that I could get her that might help? Any special towels or any tools that come in handy?

A wide tooth comb is my main tool. Since I plop my hair into a towel, instead of twisting, I just use a small thin body towel and I tie. jUst something I rigged up. If she follows the book's instructions for taking care of her hair, she will probably completely change the way she does it and it is very minimal. I'd say get her the book first and then ask her if she wants to try what the book says.

again, i've not read the book. i'd started posting earlier and dh called me away from the computer.

i just wash my hair, use conditioner (which i rinse out all but maybe once a week) then wrap in a towel.

once i'm dressed i comb it out (wet) to get the snarls out, using a w.i.d.e. tooth comb and then rub some gel into it. right now i'm using cheapo LA Looks gel (a little), rubbed all through it (turning upside down to get all of it-mine is long) and then i add the curls rock stuff (just a little...about a dime-sized dollup does my entire head of hair, and my hair is to my elbows when wet.) then i flip back up, toussle it around a bit, scrunch some curls and let it air dry. most days it ends up in piggy braids or twisted up in a barrette (french twist) once it's dry...but i let it dry first, scrunching every so often to keep the product from making it crunchy.

i don't like the curls rock shampoo although i use the conditioner once every week or two (i switch it out).

i've found i like pantene's curly mousse, curly shampoo and conditioner too (but can't afford it all the time, hence the LA Looks gel...which is dh's but i'm stealing it shh!)

A wide tooth comb is my main tool. .

yep...i'd have her avoid a brush if at all possible. i have one (a nice vented wooden one) but if i use it i only use it when it's wet...but since my hair got past my shoulders i have found that my curls get too separated by the brush when i use it at all so i just use a wide tooth comb when wet to keep the curls from separating. if they separate when wet i get frizz-head as it dries.

oh and it should go without saying that you NEVER brush curly hair when it is dry. i don't comb mine either...nothing once dry except my fingers (or someone else's :smirk: ) if you do you risk breaking it and you definitely separate the curls and cause frizz.

If she is going to blow-dry her hair, she will need a diffuser for her dryer.

For Luxurious, Sexy Curls without the Frizz: Ouidad--The Curl Experts (http://www.ouidad.com)

Love their products!

Oh lord, now another book I *need*!

Hope

I use a giant t-shirt for "plopping" and I like it better than terry cloth. Terry has those little water sucker loops that I think generate a certain amount of frizz. The t-shirt is very absorbant and smooth.


Never, never, never towel dry. If you towel dry you may as well forget everything else and embrace your frizz. :) You can gently blot. GENTLY! :lol:

I really like Curly Girl. It's made a tremendous difference for my hair.

I use a giant t-shirt for "plopping" and I like it better than terry cloth. Terry has those little water sucker loops that I think generate a certain amount of frizz. The t-shirt is very absorbant and smooth.


Never, never, never towel dry. If you towel dry you may as well forget everything else and embrace your frizz. :) You can gently blot. GENTLY! :lol:

I really like Curly Girl. It's made a tremendous difference for my hair.

OH, gotta try the t-shirt!

I haven't brushed or combed my hair in a looong time. I use my fingers to de-tangle on the days that I use conditioner.

I use Burt's Bees avocado butter as a styling aid as it holds the curl together. Frizz comes from separating the curl, which is why I am stunned that Tracey is not a big frizz-head by combing out her hair after the shower! :eek: I would look like Rosanna Rosannadanna if I did that!! My rule is: do not muss with hair at all once it is out of the shower, except for squeezng in the BBs and squeezing out the water with a towel. I leave my hair up in a towel for 15 minutes or so then take it out and let it air dry the rest of the way.

I haven't brushed or combed my hair in a looong time. I use my fingers to de-tangle on the days that I use conditioner.

I use Burt's Bees avocado butter as a styling aid as it holds the curl together. Frizz comes from separating the curl, which is why I am stunned that Tracey is not a big frizz-head by combing out her hair after the shower! :eek: I would look like Rosanna Rosannadanna if I did that!! My rule is: do not muss with hair at all once it is out of the shower, except for squeezng in the BBs and squeezing out the water with a towel. I leave my hair up in a towel for 15 minutes or so then take it out and let it air dry the rest of the way.

I agree and do the same thing. I ONLY comb my hair while in the shower, and I do that about once a week.

I recently stated taking care of my curls and LOVE the Redkin curl like for the shampoo and condition and they have a ringlet cream. Love it! I was told NOT to wash my hair everyday. I can condition but not wash it.

I actually started going to a woman who specializes in ethnic hair in order to get a decent cut. She told me that when cutting my hair it should never be pulled straight but left to have some natural movement so when it's all cut and dry it's cut based on the curl and not based on straight hair.

I comb my hair in the shower, but I rinse after it's combed, if that makes sense. I need the water to reform the curls that I ruin with the brush. If I don't brush or comb in the shower I get dreds in the back and they don't finger comb out. :(

I recently stated taking care of my curls and LOVE the Redkin curl like for the shampoo and condition and they have a ringlet cream. Love it! I was told NOT to wash my hair everyday. I can condition but not wash it.

I actually started going to a woman who specializes in ethnic hair in order to get a decent cut. She told me that when cutting my hair it should never be pulled straight but left to have some natural movement so when it's all cut and dry it's cut based on the curl and not based on straight hair.

OUIDAD is a salon that specializes in curly hair and they cut very much like you described. Sounds like you have a good set up there.

I comb my hair in the shower, but I rinse after it's combed, if that makes sense. I need the water to reform the curls that I ruin with the brush. If I don't brush or comb in the shower I get dreds in the back and they don't finger comb out. :(


If you can't tell, I am loving this thread...

I have the same problem. I don't have to comb as often, BUT if I never comb in the shower then I have MAJOR knots. I do the rinse thing after the combing too.

To get an idea of what I'm talking about, this is what my hair looks like when I treat it right:


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/eroelands/Goodhair.jpg

This is what it looks like when I don't take the time:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b273/eroelands/Motorcycles.jpg

And, yeah, that was last weekend*. ;)








* This (http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/26808) is why we were waving to the motorcycles. Sometimes it's cool to live on a major road.

OUIDAD is a salon that specializes in curly hair and they cut very much like you described. Sounds like you have a good set up there.


I just read some of the stuff on their site and it's a lot of stuff my new stylist told me. I have had some HORRIBLE cuts in my life. I have more wavy then super curly hair. I have some large ringlet areas and there's a section on the underneath that is completely straight...the rest is very wavy, loose curl. She told me no thinning shears, no razors, no combing straight to cut. I was shocked because she is the FIRST person to not want to use the shears or razor. She also went into detail about curly hair, how it dries out quicker and why. It was crazy how much she "knew" about curly hair and the science behind it. When the girl making the appointment suggest over the phone I see the "ethnic" hair specialist there I was scared but turns out to be the best for my hair.

When I'm there next I might suggest this Ouidad idea to her. I am confident she could get it. She actually told me that when she goes to conferences and stuff for new products she's always asking the question "how is this for curly hair" and she said a lot of times these products are a NO for curly hair but nobody ever asks and she figures they go back to the salon and use them anyway. So she seems to make ethnic hair and curls her speciality.

This is a neat thread. I'm probably going to get that book now and check out more of that site. There isn't a salon on there listed that is near me so I will stick with my stylist who seems to have it right...but I'm going to make sure she knows about this.

"The end result allows curls to fit into each other like puzzle pieces, avoiding the dreaded "Pyramid Effect."

I just saw that on the site...oh I so know what that's like. The haircut before my new stylist had me looking like a cocker spaniel...color and shape. Know how their head is small and the show ones with lots of hair at the bottom of their ears? That was me. I had also had my hair colored and it was AWFUL! It was supposed to be chunks but I got frizzy color instead. My new stylist said coloring curly hair has it's own techniques as well...I may get my hair colored once again. I love those carmel chunks and I may try it one more time and see if it works. I just had extensions in for the color chunks but cut them out because they drove me nuts.

Interesting thread.

I just read some of the stuff on their site and it's a lot of stuff my new stylist told me. I have had some HORRIBLE cuts in my life. I have more wavy then super curly hair. I have some large ringlet areas and there's a section on the underneath that is completely straight...the rest is very wavy, loose curl. She told me no thinning shears, no razors, no combing straight to cut. I was shocked because she is the FIRST person to not want to use the shears or razor. She also went into detail about curly hair, how it dries out quicker and why. It was crazy how much she "knew" about curly hair and the science behind it. When the girl making the appointment suggest over the phone I see the "ethnic" hair specialist there I was scared but turns out to be the best for my hair.

When I'm there next I might suggest this Ouidad idea to her. I am confident she could get it. She actually told me that when she goes to conferences and stuff for new products she's always asking the question "how is this for curly hair" and she said a lot of times these products are a NO for curly hair but nobody ever asks and she figures they go back to the salon and use them anyway. So she seems to make ethnic hair and curls her speciality.

This is a neat thread. I'm probably going to get that book now and check out more of that site. There isn't a salon on there listed that is near me so I will stick with my stylist who seems to have it right...but I'm going to make sure she knows about this.

"The end result allows curls to fit into each other like puzzle pieces, avoiding the dreaded "Pyramid Effect."

I just saw that on the site...oh I so know what that's like. The haircut before my new stylist had me looking like a cocker spaniel...color and shape. Know how their head is small and the show ones with lots of hair at the bottom of their ears? That was me. I had also had my hair colored and it was AWFUL! It was supposed to be chunks but I got frizzy color instead. My new stylist said coloring curly hair has it's own techniques as well...I may get my hair colored once again. I love those carmel chunks and I may try it one more time and see if it works. I just had extensions in for the color chunks but cut them out because they drove me nuts.

Interesting thread.I want to see pictures of your hair! or did you already post some? hmm, gotta go check.

There's not a picture of me to be found here. It's almost a shame I don't have pictures of that last haircut that was bad because it was so bad I now can laugh at it. My mom saw me one day with my hair down and actually said "what happened to your head?" It was THAT bad. It's better now.

I'll see if I can find pictures and post something...I don't exist in pictures so it's always a chore to find something of me.

Trying to post pictures. This is after my first hair cut with my new stylist so it's a little old...maybe 6 months or so. My hair is a lot longer right now.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce39b3127cce8e103d3190fd00000015118AbM2rNu0bNa

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce39b3127cce8e103db4114800000015118AbM2rNu0bNa

Ah this one is new... but my hair is dark so it's hard to see the curls and waves...so it's longer. I don't take the time to really do it every day and make the curls nice and this is a not so nice curl day...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6ce39b3127cce8e1026d8d08100000016108AbM2rNu0bNa

Very nice hair. hehe. Wish I could find someone to cut me like your stylist does yours.