Ride the WAVE with me

[ShortErica]

Hey all,

My hair was a beautiful 3B my teen and college years. After issues with hormones and kids I have only wave left. It is frustrating not knowing how to style your hair anymore. My hair is now 2B, 2C would be an excellent day.

I plan to have a no-buy for makeup for one year (started Nov 2018) and focus on finding the right hair products. I want to take the process gradually and give things time.

I started using Devacurl in Spring 2018. I had low-poo, one condition, and arc angel gel. My hair looked and felt like straw and was not getting any curl back so I stopped using all three products.

In October I chopped off a lot of hair for donation and hoped to get some bounce back. The stylist (Deva certified) recommended no-poo, one condition, coconut styling cream, and b-leave in gel. The routine was okay but I wanted more out of my hair.

Over the past week I changed my styling product to arc angel gel. I know, I know, the stylist and others have already said it was too heavy for my hair. I just wanted to experiment and find what product caused my hair to turn to straw in the spring. Arc angel seems to be in the clear. But since it isn't helping with any curl, I will pass it on to my 3C/4A mom.

I plan to resume the last routine and see how it goes or if it still seems lackluster. My one condition is almost out but I have a one condition delight. I want to see how my hair reacts to this.

I also have samples of Decadence. I believe it will likely be too heavy but it is time to find what works and what doesn't.

So here begins my hair journey. Hoping to either learn to ride the waves or return to curl.

[lovehawaii]

Hey ShortErica, I too am riding the wave. My hair got less curly when I went through menopause. Was less frizzy and held my curl longer after styling before "the change". I do live in Colorado which is very hard on curly hair, no humidity. Only wash 2x week as it is not oily. I have a large loop curl which is hard to style depending on the length. Also color it. I tried DevaCurl products and my hair was so weighted down. Have you tried the Moroccan Oil products? I am using the shampoo for curly hair and the Intense Curl creme. Makes my hair shine and feels great. Also, the products by Vernon Francois for curly hair are good. I used the shampoo and leave in conditioner. Forgot to say I never use a hairdryer. Air dry and clip sections up with the clips all hairdressers use. My hairdresser and I decided I was over conditioning, so that is why I just use a light leave in now. The one product I get from her is by Schwarzkopf, Osis + Bouncy Curl. It is a hair gel with oil that helps prevent the crunchiness you can get from a gel.

[ShortErica]

Thanks for the product suggestions @lovehawaii. It's crazy how what works for some curls is bad for others. I always air dry too. My hair is wet for a while but I just don't want the potential damage. Especially with now struggling to get some curl. I'd love to see a picture of your hair if you want to share it with us. 🙂

[Loretta55]

PYou may be using the incorrect Devacurl products @lovehawaii. I have wavy/swavy hair which is thick. I feel that it is trial and error with the Devacurl products. You may want to schedule a consultation with a Devacurl stylist who could recommend the products and how to use the products.

[ShortErica]

The front parts of my hair are always so disappointing. This is a picture with that pushed back so my other hair that is usually hidden can shine. I think I need to figure out what to do with those front pieces (get them cut shorter?) so I can showcase better waves/curls.

It's a bit fluffy for my liking (though it looks better in the picture than in person - which usually never happens!) but I'd enjoy having more hair days like this.

[Brutalitops]

@ShortErica My hair has been getting less curly as the years go by also, it's kind of freaky to look at old pictures and see how much it's changed. I use pretty strictly Aveda products from their curly or Brilliant lines, which are pretty comparable in price to the DevaCurl (and pretty comparable in performance from what I've tried/gotten deluxe samples of) but the points system at Aveda helps net me a free haircut+ worth of gift cards when I redeem them. 

Aaaanyways, what works for me is adding a curl enhancer to just my top layers (so they dry slower) and giving the very top of my hair a bit of manual curl by twisting small sections either with some light hold styling mousse or hairspray mixed in to the strands. They can get a touch crispy doing that with the wrong products, but curly hair always requires some trial and error, and I can always break it up when it's dry

[Loretta55]

I watched your video and I do not see any problem with the front of your hair @ShortErica. Maybe you are correct with possibly light layers in the front of your head. It appears that you may be achieving the curls that are are looking for. Your curls do look amazing!

[tastelikewater]

@ShortErica Your curls look amazing! So full and healthy. 

[ShortErica]

Thanks @tastelikewater and @Loretta55! These aren't the curls I grew up with but I think I'm getting used to them. I just wish the curl formation in the shower had a bit more spring after drying. I feel like they are longer dry than wet which is confusing. How have your hair days been recently?

[ShortErica]

Testing a video for @tastelikewater 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Okay it won't accept the formatting of a Dropbox video

Here's the link for laughs:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t857aa1gdblhxas/20190306_101721.mp4?dl=0

Not the best hair day plus no make up but whatever.

[tastelikewater]

@ShortErica Success! Great curl formation you have there 👍🏻

[ShortErica]

So I used up my DEVACURL - SUPERCREAM® Coconut Curl Styler and now an trying the DEVACURL - LIGHT DEFINING GEL Soft Hold No-Crunch Styler. I really should have conditioned my hair today since I was in the pool this weekend and my hair still needs some help. I need to give this product more of a chance before I can rate it. But I am enjoying the almost gummy bear like scent.

[ShortErica]

The feeling when you find an amazing curl on your desk (this has happened multiple times) but somehow they aren't attached to your head. 😭

[tastelikewater]

I CANNOT get a good picture of this haircut! I love it in person; it’s very wash-and-wear, imperfect but still cute. I can scrunch it to really enhance the wave, or keep it loose and bendy like this. It looks messy and weird in photos 😕

[ShortErica]

Oh no - the photo problem! Perhaps you can take a video of moving your head so we can see your hair in all its glory @tastelikewater?!

[tastelikewater]

@ShortErica Somehow I never realized that you can post videos! Mind blown!

[ShortErica]

Do you use the website on a computer or the app @tastelikewater? I know on mobile I don't see all the buttons and quick options that I do when I'm on my laptop. Now I kinda want to start adding videos.

[tastelikewater]

@ShortErica I'm bad and use my work laptop when I'm just responding to posts (shhhhhhhhhh!), but if I need to upload photos I'll use the mobile website on my phone or iPad. The app is too buggy for me. 

[ShortErica]

Haha me too @tastelikewater! 

I noticed the video needs a URL so I can't just add a video from my phone. Boo! I totally did some hair modeling to test it out.

[Loretta55]

Please don’t put yourself down @tastelikewater. I could see the lines of your haircut. I am glad that you found a hair stylist that you are happy with.

 I have not mentioned but I am happy that my hair is long enough to wear in a ponytail. It is one of my favorite hairstyles that I feel everyone looks good in. I even ordered an invisi bobble the strong hair ring because I only had one of the hair products (not sure of the name) it has little balls at the ends that I have to double or triple wrap to hold my hair.

[tastelikewater]

@Loretta55  I'm not trying to, because I truly love my cut! Just a little frustrated that I can't properly capture it on camera. Thank you for the boost 🙂

I love Invisibobbles! It's the one hair tie that keeps my hair in place when I play soccer. If you haven't tried this yet, put it in very hot water when it gets stretched out, and it will shrink back down. I also purchased their Sprunchie, which is the Invisibobble wrapped with velvet. It gives me the same hold but isn't rough on my hair. Though now that my hair is much shorter, I might need to switch to a thin scrunchie, like the small Slipsilk or whatever I can find at Target. 

[Loretta55]

I am terrible at taking selfies @tastelikewater . If I could get someone else to take a picture I except any help. I do understand your frustration.