Hi from Canada!

Caylynn

Hello all!

I've been browsing the forums for a while, so thought it was time to introduce myself.

I'm Canadian. A group fitness instructor, registered dietitian, and marathon runner. So I sweat a lot.

I'd had LONG hair (hitting just below my bust line) for a long time. Started growing my hair out in grade 7, and I'm 43 now. My long hair was SO easy to take care of - wash and wear. It had a gentle wave in it, but that never really mattered - it was still wash and wear!

Last June I decided to do the hair donation thing, so had my lovely long hair cut off. The stylist ended up cutting it a little shorter than I wanted (I wanted to be able to put it in a ponytail still - she cut off more than that, and gave me layers - ugh - not easy to deal with when running and teaching fitness classes!)

So, I ended up blow drying it straight all winter long, because the lovely waves in my long hair ended up being annoying waves (sticking out in all the wrong directions) with my shorter hair. Finally in March I said enough! I decided to try styling my hair naturally, and letting the natural wave come out.

So I went to a local salon, where they introduced me to the Curly Girl method, gave me a Deva cut, and introduced me to the Deva Curl products. I love how they make my waves/curls look, but with all my fitness activities I have to wash my hair everyday (or else my scalp breaks out with acne) and so things are getting expensive! So I'm now experimenting with other products, which is why I decided to join the forums! I'm envious of all the American ladies with their easier access to so many products!

My hair is now chin length, 2B, coarse, thick (although I'm lost some thickness thanks to hypothyroidism - boo!). Medium brown, with a few lighter brown/blonde natural highlights (from running outside) and a few grey strands (but not much). Haven't coloured it in over a year. Used to perm it back in high school, but haven't had one since 1992 or so.

Other things about me: married, no children, just three very demanding cats that think they are dogs (seriously, they follow us around from room to room, needs tons of attention, etc.)

I live in a small city, but one of the larger cities in Canada is an hour away, so I shop there maybe once a month (and hope to be able to find some products that I can't find in my small city there).

I look forward to reading more on the forums and to contributing!

Reservechic

Welcome! :wave:

I think that it was a very wonderful thing that you did, by choosing to get your long locks cut and donated towards helping someone in need.

I am glad to hear that the Deva products provide your curls with great results, however, I can totally understand about them being costly. And, we all have different budgets to go by, of course. So, I am hoping that you will be able to find cheaper alternatives that will work for your hair just as good.

Wish you all the best with your Curly Girl journey! :sunny:

Bluejacketsgirl

WELCOME! So glad to have you here. These folks have helped me immensely on my journey. I still have a lot to learn, but it sure does feel good to know I'm not alone. We curlies have to stick together!!

SereneCurls

Hi, and welcome. If you haven't yet, take a look at this thread. Some of the info is out of date, but it's generally useful
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/swap-board-canadians/51087-canadians-where-buy-products-while-living-canada.html

Caylynn

Thanks for the welcomes! I really miss my long hair, but I know it will grow back. I really hate having to do so much to get my hair to behave! When it was long I could wash and condition at night, it would dry (most of the way) before bed, and the next day I could wear it down, or up in a multitude of ways. Now I HAVE to style it, since I can't put it in a ponytail, and with the wave in it, I can't let it dry without any products or styling because the waves will all curl outwards or stick out like horns.

I know it will grow back, but it is so hard to be patient!

Frugalbeauty

Hello from a fellow Canadian