firstly i would see what kind of hair type you have in terms of porosity (how your hair takes on moisture), texture (how thick your strands are), and density (how much hair you have). so my hair can probably get a little wavier than yours (finnicky lol 2c-3a), and is low-porosity, fine (texture), and normal/medium (density). for me, getting volume and a pattern isnāt too hard (esp with styling) but product builds up and weighs my hair down easily
i would buy small sizes of different products that match your hair type and test them out. you might try a light gel (clear eco/ice?) or mousse maybe. wavy hair also usually does well with a salt water spray (not your motherās has one). i recently have tried the miss jessieās pillow soft curls cream and liked it. but my usual routine has been just scrunching with a small amount of gel and then diffusing
also, you donāt mention how you wash/dry your hair - if you arenāt doing so, cold water + cotton t shirt instead of a towel + diffusing with a hair dryer will make a big difference. and always brush before you shower or when you condition, but never during/after youāre drying it
i hope this helps!
Mar 23, 2025
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I am so glad you asked because I have fine, 3b/3c curly hair and A LOT OF IT, and my whole life I have struggled to find products & a routine that define my curls but still give me volume without weighing my hair down or making it greasy! preface: this is a long one! But please read through everything, I promise it will change your life like it did mine!!
Judging by your profile picture, it seems like you may also have fine(ish)/medium thick hair? similar to mine. please bear in mind that hair type & thickness is a massive factor in how well certain products Will work. But I donāt think a serum is gonna be enough to get your curls defined & frizz-free /: the gels and creams youve tried may also be too thick!
My holy grail products:
*curlsmith weightless air dry cream (leave-in)
*innersense hair love prep spray (basically another leave in but in liquid form)
*curlsmith hold me softly style balm (actual styling cream)
*any type of *lightweight* oil or thermal protectant spray - I alternate between argan oil, joicoās k-pak color therapy oil, and Kenraās platinum blow dry smell (smells sooo good)
^these products are very lightweight but work great together in holding your curls so that you can easily go days in between washing and styling.
Now the key is not only which products you use but how much of each product youāre using! This is important bc if you use too much of a product, especially one that is heavy, itās going to weigh your hair down, making it greasy & limp - even still for lightweight products. so measuring the amount of product to use is key & hereās how to do it: start by parting your hair like you normally would and then bring the hair on either side of your part around to the front. then take your index finger & thumb and wrap your fingers around each section of hair shafts (WHILE WET). when your hair fits snug into whatever shape and size ring youāve created with your fingers, bring your fingers down through the section of hair being sure not to break your fingers up, keeping the ring of ur index finger & thumb, and whatever shape/size your left with is the exact amount of product youre gonna want to disperse through your hair. youāll use that same amount for every product you use, except for the oil at the end.
Actual routine:
With hair soaking wet, BEFORE brushing, I apply my leave-in to each section. Then go ahead and spritz each section with the prep love spray. mind you, the sections are just the hair on either side of my part - so two sections all together, basically both halves of my hair. after a few spritzes on either section, I then go in with a brush (any type of detangling brush is fine, idek which one I use, itās from Amazon) and brush out all the tangles. Brushing after applying these products ensures that it all gets dispersed evenly. then, re-section your hair and go in with your styling cream, raking it evenly thru the hair. Now 2nd to last step is KEY. The denman brush (which u can get on Amazon) is whats really gonna ensure your curls are defined. Prior to this step tho, make sure your hair is still wet, or at least 85% wet. If itās not, spritz it with some water bc brushing through dry hair of any degree is going to create frizz! What you do w the denman brush is essentially break up your hair into more, smaller, sections, and brush through each section with the denman brush. This can be time consuming at first but the more you do it, the quicker you get w it. I donāt bother to create a bunch of sections anymore - I just clip all of my hair up leaving the bottom layer out and kind of repeat that process, working my way up to the crown & front pieces. but the key is making sure that each section is small. once youāve passed through each section w the denman brush, you can go in with a TINY amount of oil. then diffuse!!! you can also air dry but I find diffusing to make my curls look nicer.
I know that was a lot but itās really quite simple when you put it into practice. Hope this helps! š¤
Apr 25, 2024
First, make sure your products work for your hair texture and typeā fine or thin hair may get overloaded with lots of product, so start with less, add as needed.
I use Proseā I like the custom products, the hard water and air pollution checks, and the option to go silicone free. I use a pre-shampoo mask, shampoo, and conditioner, and I have a leave in conditioner for when I heat dry (I try to do this sparingly, a few times a month). The important thing about wash products is really that you like them, you use them, and that they work for your hair typeā doing a little research, or getting sample sizes of products to try out, can really support your wash routine.
In winter, I wash twice weekly, in summer I wash as needed (after exercise/swimming, etc.)
Overnight, I use a heatless curl rodā itās like a low maintenance plait, itās easy to sleep in, and it minimises heat styling and breakage. I donāt use hair spray or styling productsā I find they weigh my hair down and make it necessary to overwash, which strips/dries hair.
Briefly:
1. Avoid heat styling, and use protectants+low heat if you do
2. Try silicone free soaps, that work for your hair type
3. Try heatless and protective styling
4. Be consistent, give it time
Jul 29, 2024
Over the last half a decade, iāve come to embrace my curly hair and have garnered some ritualistic practices when it comes to my hair. here are some things I wish I wouldāve known sooner, see photo for credibility:
- DO NOT use Shea Moisture, itās waxy and will build up. Of course itās different for everyone(particularly people with Black hair), I just find that line of products to be too heavy, and it leaves my hair looking dull.
- I genuinely like john friedaās frizz-ease line for frizz, but the best thing you can do to combat frizz as previously mentioned, is apply a generous amount of leave-in conditioner after styling products.
- I prefer to plop for 10-20 minutes(put my hair in a t-shirt headwrap) and air dry after that. Iāve gotten the best volume and styling results with this method.
- If you canāt afford the good stuff(like that fancy K18 or Davineās stuff my hair dresser wants me to use) splurge on a good mask. I use a nice mask once a week to remove and buildup from the week before and it leaves my hair feeling refreshed!
- Broken record iām sure but get a hair dryer! I was hair-dryer-averse for many years and recently got one to help with volume. It takes me maybe 5-10 minutes and my hair ends up looking incredible!
Jul 22, 2024
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being traditionally cool is really quite boring and iterative, and itās actually very cool and sexy to geek out about something you like or share bits of knowledge on a topic youāre passionate about
Aug 17, 2024
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i had it for a little over a year until i was like wow this is actually terrible! i genuinely think it has negatively impacted society by ruining peopleās attention spans, having a horrific algorithm, and most of all by the most mind-numbing or outright harmful trends -
fake words that people now use IRL (āunaliveā), trad wife tiktok, shein hauls, body-focused fitness vids that encourage fatphobia and unhealthy habits, shallow political/feminist theory and queer discourse, āalpha maleā podcaster tiktok, encouraging overconsumption in general, trends ruining local spots or niche thingsā¦ the list goes on
Aug 17, 2024
a million times cooler than the lackluster āsleekā tech color palette used today
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