Defining My 3c/4a

pancakes

WHEN I FIRST WENT NATURAL MY CURLS WERE PRETTY MUCH DEFINED UNTIL NOW . tHE ONLY WAY MY HAIR LOOKS DEFINED IS WITH GEL OR IF I DO A TWIST OUT . dOES DEEP CONDT. MAKE YOUR CURL PATTERN LOOK BETTER AND MORE ENHANCED? BECAUSE I NEED HELP ON WHAT PROD AND WHATEVER ADVICE ANYONE HAS . THANKS LOTS

Fantastic1221

I think that deep conditioning does help but its only a part of it. You should find a product that defines your curls. I have great definition alone because I henna a lot ( which is also a type of deep conditioner) but I also use aloe vera gel, which works great. Its light and doesnt weigh down my curls.

MsCurl83

Fantastic1221 wrote: »

I think that deep conditioning does help but its only a part of it. You should find a product that defines your curls. I have great definition alone because I henna a lot ( which is also a type of deep conditioner) but I also use aloe vera gel, which works great. Its light and doesnt weigh down my curls.

I don't know if I'm confused, but do you use the aloe vera gel for sunburns on your hair? and if so what brand? or do they make/sell aloe vera gel for hair alone?

DerbyCityNaturals

@ shortncurly Find a natural aloe gel like Fruit of the Earth. Aloe Gel is just aloe gel really if you are using the real stuff and can be used for a lot of different things. You can do a search the forums for aloe gel for more info.

@ pancakes curl definition is the holy grail for curlies so welcome to the quest

Humidity can play a huge part in how defined your curls are. I live in Louisville, KY which is incredibly humid during the summer so I don't even attempt definition from May - August because I just don't want to battle.

Gels by nature do a good job of defining but what works varies from person to person. The best advice I can give is:
1. Figure out your hair texture, porosity and protein affinity.
2. Search the forums for "curl definition" which will yield billions of results.
3. Look a what products worked for those with hair that is similar texture, porosity and protein affinity. Also taking climate into account.

I know this is probably not the quick and dirty answer you were looking for but it is the correct way to find the most accurate results.

nana_banana

shortncurly wrote: »

Fantastic1221 wrote: »

I think that deep conditioning does help but its only a part of it. You should find a product that defines your curls. I have great definition alone because I henna a lot ( which is also a type of deep conditioner) but I also use aloe vera gel, which works great. Its light and doesnt weigh down my curls.

I don't know if I'm confused, but do you use the aloe vera gel for sunburns on your hair? and if so what brand? or do they make/sell aloe vera gel for hair alone?

I buy the aloe vera gel sold in the health food shops or upscale pharmacies labelled as a nutritional supplement/natural laxative. The ones used specifically for sunburns all seem to have a bunch of random ingredients including alcohol and sometimes even mineral oil.

CurlyHead74

[quote=nana_banana;1431501I buy the aloe vera gel sold in the health food shops or upscale pharmacies labelled as a nutritional supplement/natural laxative. The ones used specifically for sunburns all seem to have a bunch of random ingredients including alcohol and sometimes even mineral oil.[/quote]

I use 100% (no alcohol, mineral oil or other addetives) aloe vera gel by Fruit of the Earth or Lily of the Desert

barbaranaturallyspeaking

Deep conditioning doesn't seem to enhance my curl, however I guess it does in a sense because it adds a more moisturized look. I use a concoction of suave naturals conditioner as a leave in, coconut oil, and a small amount of [buylink=http://www.curlmart.com/Kinky-Curly-Curling-Custard-p-778.html?utm_source=naturallycurly.com&utm_medium=text-link&utm_content=curltalk-post-text&utm_campaign=kinkycurly-curling-custard]kinky curly curling custard[/buylink] to enhance my curl pattern for a wash and go. I use shea butter in addition to the above mentioned products if I want to enhance the waves and curls for an afro puff. Check out my website/ blog at barbaranaturallyspeaking.com for photos and directions on how to achieve various styles.

Bermudabeauty

i have very defined 3c 4a hair. Just by adding water and then some conditioner...,my curls pop! However if you would like some more curl definition it might not necessarily be products you are using versus the method you should be using. Try "shingling". This is basicly puting product in your hair and then using a rat tail comb, comb the product through from root to ends. This will give you immediate curl definition. If you want hold without using gel try herbal essence tousle me softly finishing creame on wet hair. It gives good shine and hold. (A little goes a long way). Mind you I don't have to shingle because I have good curl definition but I think you will find this helpful.



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EllyEllyOxenFree

Figure out your porosity! Marah has a great description in another thread on it...my hair is low porosity and I am forever trying to make it juicy (no not like a jheri curl, but often times my hair gets frizzy or prods just sit on my head). I know baking soda is supposed to dry out hair with repeated use but every time I do a cherry lola treatment (baking soda, amino acids, yogurt) my hair gets darker b/c it is visibly more moisturized. My curls are not elongated, I just have less frizz so my hair looks clearer, ie, more defined.

Anywho, the point of my long winded post is to advise you to find out your porosity so you can figure out what your hair needs.

pancakes

Bermudabeauty wrote: »

i have very defined 3c 4a hair. Just by adding water and then some conditioner...,my curls pop! However if you would like some more curl definition it might not necessarily be products you are using versus the method you should be using. Try "shingling". This is basicly puting product in your hair and then using a rat tail comb, comb the product through from root to ends. This will give you immediate curl definition. If you want hold without using gel try herbal essence tousle me softly finishing creame on wet hair. It gives good shine and hold. (A little goes a long way). Mind you I don't have to shingle because I have good curl definition but I think you will find this helpful.



hair22.jpg

me10.jpg

same here...its a lil more defined with conditioner and water but its like the center still is a tad bit dryer than other parts , but i just wanna improve the look of my curls itself because when i first went natural the curls seemed pretty defined and some semi permanet colors i used a while back improve the overall look and touch of my curls

pancakes

ellepixie wrote: »

Figure out your porosity! Marah has a great description in another thread on it...my hair is low porosity and I am forever trying to make it juicy (no not like a jheri curl, but often times my hair gets frizzy or prods just sit on my head). I know baking soda is supposed to dry out hair with repeated use but every time I do a cherry lola treatment (baking soda, amino acids, yogurt) my hair gets darker b/c it is visibly more moisturized. My curls are not elongated, I just have less frizz so my hair looks clearer, ie, more defined.

Anywho, the point of my long winded post is to advise you to find out your porosity so you can figure out what your hair needs.

thanks for the advice , i keep meaning to take a pic of my hair after a wash and go or just my naked hair in general and i most definetely will check out the porosity thread .