# What don't I know about having curly hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535 "2011-05-28T06:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/21 "2011-05-28T22:31:39Z")
I’m really diggin’ [Fructis Sleek & Shine leave-in anti-frizz serum](http://www.garnierusa.com/_en/_us/our_products/product-struct.aspx?tpcode=OUR_PRODUCTS%5EPRD_HAIRCARE%5EFRUCTIS%5EFRUCTIS_DISCOVER%5EFRUCTIS_SLEEK_SHINE%5EFRUCTIS_SLEEK_SHINE2_RTN2&prdcode=P41029) for my curls lately. Yeah I get some frizz but I also get some mondo curls. I’m also in love with [Head & Shoulders Smooth & Silky shampoo and conditioner](http://www.headandshoulders.com/en-US/collection/hydrating.jspx) (not 2-in-1). [Here’s me as a toddler](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5769675912/) - straight and blonde. [Seven years old](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5769137389/) - brown and wavy [31 years old](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5769676130/) - Yikes! You’ll see my brother has straight jet-black hair. So does my mom. It took me about 20 years to figure out my hair on my own. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/22 "2011-05-28T23:02:15Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > I love my curls. > > However, some things you don’t know if you don’t have curls: Curly hair is dry. It can’t be washed every day. (Unless you’re willing to spend tons of time and money on "product"to put what you just washed out back in.) It should never be blowdried or it goes all flooffy. Towel-drying too harshly will also just create frizz. Basically it’s a different animal than perfectly straight hair and should be treated by its own rules. > > And kept right, it’s striking. > [@WhyNot](#): > > I’ve never, ever washed my hair every day, straight or curly. But I think I’m ready to break down and go back to shampoo…it looks better, with less frizz, but I hate this gunky feeling. There are more than a handful of places that have advice on the web for curly hair folks: [Naturally Curly](http://www.naturallycurly.com/topics/view/curly-hair-care-methods) [The Long Hair Community](http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=25276) I have naturally “can’t make up its mind” hair: it’s straight with some curls and waves and weirdness that varies from day to day. I’ve benefitted from not washing my hair as often, conditioning more often, and using conditioner as a washing method on “in between washes” days-- however, this only works well for me if I massage my scalp while I’m doing it, otherwise it feels greasy afterward. [This is today’s hair](https://picasaweb.google.com/nashiitashii/Hair?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGY9d-Jq_yABA#5611904834878926690)– as you can see, the topmost layer is straight, and stays straight until I get to below my ears, then it gets wavy-curly. For many years, I would just “brush out” the waves to have weird poofy stuff underneath, but now I just let the curls do their thing. Personally, I’m a fan of leave-in conditioners and coconut oil in small amounts, as it works a lot better for my finely textured hair than serums and gels and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/23 "2011-05-28T23:29:01Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > What do people with straight hair not know about having curly hair? (and vice versa) I’m interested in this, too - I just grew my life-long, stick-straight hair out from a pixie cut, and it’s just exploded. It hasn’t been this curly since I had my last spiral perm in 1988! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/24 "2011-05-28T23:31:28Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > There are more than a handful of places that have advice on the web for curly hair folks: Thank you! > [@](#): > > I have naturally “can’t make up its mind” hair: it’s straight with some curls and waves and weirdness that varies from day to day. That’s the kind of hair my daughter has. Parts of it are curly and parts of it are straight, but it’s different parts every day. Worse, it’s that kind of little girl hair that looks GORGEOUS - like a shampoo ad - when it’s freshly brushed, but looks lanky and stringy about 15 minutes later. Poor thing. She’s always being told to go brush her hair! My son has thick, coarse curly hair that would hold dreds so perfectly if he wanted 'em. Which, of course, he doesn’t. He keeps it about 1/2 inch longer than a buzz cut to keep the dreaded curls at bay. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/25 "2011-05-28T23:37:35Z")
Mine is a lot like what’s already been mentioned. It must be ‘washed’ daily or it looks horrible, but really I only shampoo it about once every 4-5 days–the daily treatment is a lot of conditioner. It gets combed while wet and then not touched again–you can’t brush curls. I don’t own a blow-dryer, that’s just an instant disaster. My hair was very curly as a baby, got wavy/almost-straight from age 4-16 or so–it’s hard to tell because it was the 80’s and I was perming it. Then I let the perm grow out and discovered I had curly hair anyway. Once I was an adult, it just got curlier and curlier, though it’s never quite hit poodle level. I would look terrible with straight hair anyway. My 8yo daughter’s hair is exactly like mine, only red. She’s in the wavy stage now, but I fully expect it to go curly again later on. ---
**Author:** ![Isabel8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@Isabel8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabel8)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/26 "2011-05-28T23:59:51Z")
How do you all get the gel / serum / coconut oil evenly distributed in your hair without combing it? I have very wavy hair with some loose curls. I know I shouldn’t comb it and should use an anti-frizz product, but doesn’t using product _require_ combing? What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/27 "2011-05-29T00:03:43Z")
> [@Isabel8](#): > > How do you all get the gel / serum / coconut oil evenly distributed in your hair without combing it? > > I have very wavy hair with some loose curls. I know I shouldn’t comb it and should use an anti-frizz product, but doesn’t using product _require_ combing? What am I missing? Fingers. I rub the gel back and forth on my hands and sort of scrunch up my hair. it doesn’t need to coat every single strand; the motion of it rubbing back and forth usually takes care of the rest. I “wash” my hair every day, btw, in that I scrub with my fingers in the water until the oily feeling is gone. I usually shampoo every other day. I could probably go longer, but it skeeves me out to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/28 "2011-05-29T00:33:48Z")
Maybe this happens to straight-hair people, too, but for my fairly wavy hair, even if I find the perfect combination of products, it can change quickly. Temperature, humidity, whether I just washed it or it’s an unwashed day, whether I had it cut recently or am due for a trim, whatever, but what worked on Monday may be horrible by Wednesday. I just clip it up if it’s too frizzy or weird. I will say that it looks great up; if a tendril falls loose, it’s one of those nice wavy ones that they deliberately put in up-dos sometimes. That’s good. Also, I have maybe once or twice in my life come out of a salon with my hair looking remotely how it wants to look. The stylists don’t want to send me out with wet hair, looking like a drowned rat, and they don’t want to waste the time to dry it with a diffuser for 45 minutes, so they almost always blow it straight. It also takes my hair a good 3 days to a week to “recover” from a haircut, so I have no idea if a haircut was that great for a little while. I can tell symmetry, but not how well my hair will fall once it’s bounced back from losing that tiny bit of extra weight. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/29 "2011-05-29T01:16:35Z")
> [@FrancisCastle](#): > > I’ve always hated my curly hair. There was a boy in junior high who used to call me “pubes” because it was always so fuzzy. Since then, I’ve learned to handle it a lot better. On non-humid days I even like to wear my hair down and curly! Most of the time I straighten it using the [InStyler](http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=876490989299&id=d2234a1de446fcc4f4bd27cb498e4cd6&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.instyler-fashion.com%2fimages%2finstyler1111.jpg). My hair is about shoulder length. It takes me about 10 minutes to dry with a hair dryer and another 20-25 to straighten. Then I’m good for 2-3 days until it starts to look greasy and I have to wash it again. This doesn’t work on really humid days though, so then it just goes up in a ponytail. I’ve been eyeing that Instyler for a couple of years, but I was skeptical. Does it really work as well as advertised? My hair is long, freakishly thick, and wildly curly/frizzy. I deal with it by using about half a can of mousse to tame it, shoving the whole mess into a ponytail, and bitching about it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/30 "2011-05-29T01:43:51Z")
‘Don’t brush it’ is generally good advice. Afro-comb for styling really thick curls, maybe, but not the traditional brush or combs. But really, it varies more than absolutely straight hair, or hair that’s almost all straight but with a very slight kink, does. As this thread shows. > [@classyladyhp](#): > > Did you always have curly hair or did any of you have curly hair when young and then it went straight? I’m the oppposite - I had straight hair as a kid (with a few kinks) and curly hair as an adult. Possibly it’s due to a perm that I had when I was 13, but 22 years later that would be the kind of perm that should be asking for patents, and my hair is like most of my siblings.’ One thing hairdressers often don’t seem to know about curly hair: cut it when it’s dry. Granted, I’ve mostly gone to cheap hairdressers, but you’d think they’d know this as a basic fact. Afro-Carribbean hairdressers aren’t any better (for me) because, although they’re used to curly hair, they’re not used to curly hair that has numerous curly vs. wavy vs. straight sects competing for dominance all over a single head. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/31 "2011-05-29T04:25:34Z")
Like other posters upthread, my curly hair is pretty changeable. During the summer humidity, it gets conditioned everyday and deep conditioned once a week. I’m also a no-poo girl. In the winter, it gets washed with water 1-2 times a week and serumed to tame it. A good hairdresser is a must. I’m fortunate enough to have one who knows what she’s doing. Nothing fancy, dry cut, in and out in about 15 minutes. As far as product goes, I go for a bunch of leave-in conditioner and serum. A rigid headband works to keep the front in place. I use a pick to untangle it. **WhyNot** , is your hair beginning to go grey? Greys seem to get curlier / wirier than hair with some natural pigment left. My little sis who always had stick straight hair now has curls in her forties. The white hairs in my own eyebrows tend to be curly and as I get more and more white hair on my head, it’s getting curlier. BTW, _Curly Girls_ is an excellent choice for basic instruction for dealing with your new look. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/32 "2011-05-29T04:45:05Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > ‘Don’t brush it’ is generally good advice. Afro-comb for styling really thick curls, maybe, but not the traditional brush or combs. That is true. I just realized that I don’t use a regular comb at all. I use a pick with very very wide teeth; I would never used a regular comb. I’ve had my pick for 20+ years (it’s hard plastic and hasn’t degraded a bit) and I don’t know what I would do if I lost it! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/33 "2011-05-29T12:28:39Z")
> [@missred](#): > > **WhyNot** , is your hair beginning to go grey? Greys seem to get curlier / wirier than hair with some natural pigment left. My little sis who always had stick straight hair now has curls in her forties. The white hairs in my own eyebrows tend to be curly and as I get more and more white hair on my head, it’s getting curlier. BTW, _Curly Girls_ is an excellent choice for basic instruction for dealing with your new look. Nope, no grey. I was kind of hoping that might be the case, as my grandmother has beautiful silver/white grey hair, and I’ve always looked forward to maybe getting hair like hers. So I grew out my roots a good 4 inches to have a look see. No greys yet. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/34 "2011-05-29T12:44:01Z")
With curly hair, you can cut it yourself! No straight lines to worry about. The only hard thing is the very back. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/35 "2011-05-29T17:08:20Z")
> [@Isabel8](#): > > How do you all get the gel / serum / coconut oil evenly distributed in your hair without combing it? > > I have very wavy hair with some loose curls. I know I shouldn’t comb it and should use an anti-frizz product, but doesn’t using product _require_ combing? What am I missing? With coconut oil, I use a VERY SMALL AMOUNT (if it’s solid, enough to have a fingernail’s worth of it, if liquid, just enough to make my palms shiny), rub it between my hands, and (while the hair is wet) gently run my hands through the bottom half of my hair. Finger combing should do the trick with most styling if your hair is wavy enough, and a little bit goes a long way for oils, serums and gels. Personally, with conditioner “washing” (otherwise known as CO-washing), I buy a big thing of the cheap stuff, like [Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter](http://www.suave.com/hair-care/professionals%C2%AE-shampoo-conditioner#/Hair-Care/Shampoo-and-Conditioner/Almond-Shea-Butter) or [Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut](http://www.suave.com/hair-care/professionals%C2%AE-shampoo-conditioner#/Hair-Care/Tropical-Coconut-Shampoo-and-Conditioner). [Mane 'n Tail Original Conditioner](http://manentail.com/products/original-mane-n-tail-conditioner/) is really good too if you’ve got super dry hair or need an intense conditioner. It took my over-processed hair and saved it from being permanent broken straw when I regretfully decided to professional dye my hair twice in a summer, including highlights. I was able to keep it at a longer length until I got through the wedding, then chopped it off so I could grow out healthy length. Mind you, it won’t work miracles, but it is intensely moisturizing. Why go cheap? I use a lot of it when I’m CO-washing and it’s a waste of money to buy the expensive stuff, then use huge gobs of it when CO-washing. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/36 "2011-05-29T18:08:50Z")
You know that Aussie 3-minute miracle deep conditioner? The kind that is supposed to be used for intensive treatment maybe once a week? I use it as leave-in conditioner every time I wash my hair. Works better than any leave-in I’ve ever tried \ and is not greasy or anything. If it hasn’t been mentioned, curly hair \ tends toward split ends more than straight. I don’t blow-dry, I don’t do anything except color it a couple times a year, and it is split-end central all the time. Also, trying to arrange a haircut around frigging multiple cowlicks is not a lot of fun, either. I have yet to have a real haircut or style, beyond _trying_ to frame around my face. It works for a week or two, then goes nuts again. \ And again, I don’t even have extreme hair, but I still go browsing over on the ‘black lady hair’ shelves in the stores, because the ‘normal’ stuff is just laughable. I can only sympathize with anyone who’s got _really_ funky hair. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/37 "2011-05-29T18:10:43Z")
> [@TokyoPlayer](#): > > With curly hair, you can cut it yourself! No straight lines to worry about. The only hard thing is the very back. Hehe, this too for me, for my bangs, anyway. Drives me crazy when hairstylists insist on cutting my hair wet. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/38 "2011-05-29T22:16:35Z")
Huh, well that was an eye opener. What is this “frizz” of which you speak? And Condih… condesh… condishner? I think I know what a hair dryer is, it’s that gun shaped thing you wave over your head for 15 seconds after a shower. Not sure why you need to pass the top of a rooster’s head through your hair or have those things that apply paint anywhere near your head, either. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLucy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@SweetLucy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLucy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/39 "2011-05-30T00:08:54Z")
I have naturally stick-straight hair and it’s an absolue curse. I’ve been getting perms for most of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535/40 "2011-05-30T04:24:38Z")
> [@YaraMateo](#): > > You know, until I read this like this, I sometimes I forget NOT everyone combs their hair in the shower. :smack: Oh yeah, the only way I could ever get a comb through my hair is if it’s loaded down with conditioner. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-dont-i-know-about-having-curly-hair/583535.md?page=3)