Curly in front, flat in back.

hippyatheart

Hi Curly girls!

I am loving the CG products as well as my EVOO/honey DT. My curls look great! The curls in the front look fantastic but the curls, or waves, are stretched and elongated like they are totally different curls. Do you wise sages have any suggestionson how to get defined curls in the back? Thanks!

plunkybug

Are you using any curl enhancers, plopping, or diffusing? Do you have any layers?

Logy

I have the same problem, only in a short style. Along with curly hair on top grows forward, wavy hair in back grows flat. I have lots of weird growing patterns. My new stylist added clips in the back to pull it off my scalp while it dried and that really helped to form more curls. Just haven't been able to replicate it at home yet.
Looking forward to hearing suggestions.

erinnifer

i have the same problem except backwards! my hair can get really wavy curly in the back but pretty flat on the sides. i havent quite figured it out yet!

barbarianhair

I also have this problem and it's so frustrating! I plop, diffuse, even had short layers cut at the crown thinking that it would encourage the curl. No luck so far but I haven't attempted any curl enhancers yet.

catmando

I see that I am not the only one with this problem. I have layers and in front is my hair so wavy and bottom hair sometimes curly, but in back is it just a little bit wavy. I tried plopping and clipping - but nothing. Super Soaker work in front fine but in back not.

Has anybody an idea what I could do? I use a curl enhancer, AVG mixed with a curl balm from Nivea.

IAgirl

Curl enhancers can help a lot. But you have to recognize how hair grows differently. You can have hair that grows in different directions, different wave patterns, you name it. Nature didn't necessarily mean for it to look good, just to cover our heads... If you have areas of finer hair, sometimes those waves and curls might be less determined.

What really helps my waves (I'm a wavy canopy and curlier underneath gal) is to use a curl enhancer like FSG+ aloe or protein (or both) under a harder hold gel, to scrunch a lot and try to make sure that clumps of hair hold together so the wavier or curlier hairs in each clump can "help" the less wavy ones.

Diffusing with a diffuser with a deeper bowl and being careful to pile the hair in there in place (especially the top, I pile that in, then turn the diffuser so it's pointed towards my head, lifting the hair) really makes a difference.

Clips help a lot in unweighting the hair. Clipping the back by yourself is TRICKY! That's why I use the diffuser to lift my hair instead.

If I really want to make more curls where I have mostly waves, I have to set or form them somehow and I don't mind that, but I usually don't bother except for rare special occasions.

Layers help me a whole lot. I cut them myself and then when I need a touch-up, I do a sort of Deva-inspired snipping of individual clumps and it makes a huge difference (in my eyes).
But my "miracle workers" are FSG with goodies added in addition to a gel with PVA/VP for hold.

Please do have a good look at your hair, ladies. You can try to improve upon what you have, but it is already good enough. There are people who style their hair to be curlier in front or in back or whatever it is you're not liking about yours - that may be somebody else's goal.
Don't be too hard on yourselves!
EDIT: FSG is Flax Seed Gel which is a homemade product.

oethereal1

aaaah!!!! so the point of FSG is that it's a curl enhancer? there's so much info on it here that i somehow missed that point.

i have a million and one questions about it now. does it work for everybody? is it an all-dewpoint product? at what point in your routine do you use it? is it at all moisturizing, will it leave me over-softened? can someone point me to a good thread to read about the virtues of FSG and how to best utilize it?

will have to check in later, so TIA.

IAgirl

oethereal1, I think the answer to all your questions is "maybe, or yes and no."
FSG works for many, those who are determined to make it work using a variety of techniques and trying different additives (thickeners, honey or agave or aloe or protein) usually have the best luck with it.
If you don't add anything that causes frizz, it seems like an all-dewpoint product to me. It is moisturizing. When you rinse your hair after using FSG, it feels so silky - not rough, tangly or dry like some gels make it. FSG is wonderful for adding shine also. I have soft, silky hair and FSG leaves it very soft - that's where a strong-hold gel or some honey or agave help. I know I read one person's comment that daily FSG use left her over-conditioned, but that doesn't happen to me (easily over-conditioned)

I think a lot of wavies (and curlies) use it either first or over a leave-in conditioner, usually under a stronger-hold gel although some additives can give FSG enough hold on its own. Some people use it after partially diffusing or plopping or for the "supersoaker" routine.

FSG is a polysaccharide (long strings of sugar molecules) and in that way, it's a polymer. The hold in most gels comes from polymers, even plastic is a polymer, so the point of polymers is to form a film over your hair to help hold it in place as it dries. FSG adds some plant-based goodness and moisture and helps form clumps. It is very liquid, so it has good distribution - but it's also kind of stringy/viscous so it sticks to itself, thus the clumpiness.

If you look at people's signatures, note who is using FSG and what they list it as being used for.

Aimee

My curls are more defined in the back and fall flat up front. I use my u-smooth 1" flat iron to add tight curls to the front. First I scrunch my hair with mouse and let it air-dry, so then when I add curls to it, the curls stay due to the mouse. Here is a link that gives steps on how to curl with a flat iron :

Hairstyle and Flat Iron Tips and Tools

Good luck!

Sunflower30

My hair is also more wavy, less curly in back and especially the bottom of the back. Today I used duck bill clips for the first time and I really liked the results in the back, but hated it for the front that is more curly. I seemed to have more curl in the back today, and its possibly due to the clips.

I just read someone's response that advised you to trying clipping. I think that's what worked for me today- you should try it! I think the trick with the clips is to not put too thick a section of hair in a clip. You have to clip very small amounts, yet do it over a broad area (if that makes sense?). If you do too thick a piece, it will crimp it and disrupt your curl pattern- which is how I think people get them wrong. I watched a YouTube video on it, maybe you can try searching for it. I randomly came upon it while searching for tons of other curly hair care + styling vids.

pedaheh

Aimee- If you aren't already, be sure and use a heat protectant.

catmando

IAgirl - Thanks for your answer, I am reading now also your blog, which is also very helpfull. I will try to make in the next day the FSG from your blog.

Aimee

Pedaheh,

Yes I do use a heat protectant, I like Kevin Murphy's Young.Again!

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