Are my curls meant to pop?

AfroCurls

Hey ladies!

I have a few questions about my hair. I've been natural for almost ten months and I still have yet to get a routine down that I can stick with. I've had to change my routine lately because of the weather.

My hair is getting longer (yay! ) , but I'm noticing that product distribution is becoming a problem. The front and sides are always great, but the center of my head never seems to get defined. It just gets thick and poofy. I don't know whether it's the way I'm putting the products in or if I just have a hair type that won't curl in that section. I bought some [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] hoping to see some great results, but alas, it never did get the center of my hair looking the way I wanted it to. I tried putting it on soaking wet hair and it was a little better but not much.

Here's a link to how it looks most of the time (this pic isn't with the [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]KCCC[/buylink]): http://public.fotki.com/nappycurls/june_2005/june05_001.html


I just want to know if there is anything I may be missing when I'm trying to put products in my hair. The hair in the center of my head is VERY thick and so I'm thinking it may just be how my hair is; it may never be as defined as I like, which is all good. I'm not one to go through hell and high water (i.e. shingling) just to have springy curls everywhere. If other chicks on here have extremely thick curly hair, do you have this problem? What do you do? Any product recommendations or methods?

My curls pop for the most part but getting the products on the roots of my hair is always difficult.

Curlilocs

First let me say that your pictures look great and I think you're being too hard on your hair!

I would just pay extra attention to the crown of your hair. I say this because I experienced a little fuzziness in the crown too and I'm sure that came from not distributing the product enough in that area. I would focus on the front and sides, then the back, and the crown would get very little attention because I was still adding products like my hair had not grown, ya know what I mean? Once I started adding products in 3 sections instead of two, I noticed a difference!

Mae

Just want to add that your hair is so thick and pretty! I have portions of my hair that don't "pop" like the others do. I had to just accept my hair for what it is, and I actually apply less product to the parts of my hair that are curlier, and more product to the parts that are frizzier. That way they look more uniform.....

AfroCurls

Thanks for the compliments and replies, ladies!

I tried sectioning my hair today with a leave in, [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]KCCC[/buylink] and Fantasia IC gel and I like the results, although it's still not what I envisioned. I'm thinking maybe my hair is just thicker than a lot of curlies and with more hair comes more frizz and not as much curl definition. I still love my hair as is. Just trying to find out what exactly it can and can't do.

love yourself first

Your curls are pretty and thick, and a nice size. They do look sort of dry, however, especially in that first picture (maybe it was the flash?). You might get better curl defintion with more moisture on your hair - a lot more moisture. Are you using leave ins? Maybe you would like to use coconut oil under your gels. I haven't tried this, but other curlies like Shyygirl have been raving about it. I am a huge fan of leave ins like [buylink=http://www.curlmart.com/Jessicurl-Aloeba-Daily-Conditioner-p-104.html?utm_source=naturallycurly.com&utm_medium=text-link&utm_content=curltalk-post-text&utm_campaign=jessicurl-aloeba-daily-conditioner]Jessicurl Aloeba[/buylink] or Mixed Chicks layered under gel. Leave ins applied after you condition your hair and rinse will lock in moisture.

Just some thoughts.

You also have a pretty smile. Thanks for sharing pictures!

AfroCurls

Thanks a lot Curltopia!

Those pictures are from the summertime and yeah, my hair was EXTREMELY dry. I was waiting on my Asha's products. :P

For Leave-In, I use Jamaican Mango and Lime Cactus Leave in Conditioner. My boyfriend's sending me a huge bottle of [buylink=http://www.curlmart.com/Elucence-Moisture-Balancing-Conditioner-p-39.html?utm_source=naturallycurly.com&utm_medium=text-link&utm_content=curltalk-post-text&utm_campaign=elucence-elucence-moisture-balancing-conditioner]Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner[/buylink] (yes, he's wonderful) so I plan to alternate between that and the Jamaican Mango and Lime (the ethnic hair store near my school runs out of the JM&L kinda quick).

Curlee Q

I am like you, my crown area curls dont pop out like the sides and the back of my head. The only thing I cn do its to section and try to distrubute the product also, but I also think that its just the crown area is just a totally different curl pattern. I have nice lil corkscrew curls on the sides and back but in the crown area its more wavy. And no matter what I do it just doesnt curl up like the sides and back. What I do sometimes is take some sections and twirl around my finger to form a more curly look

Edit: I just had to co wash my hair, when applying the product I tried sectioning in smaller sections in the crown area and it worked pretty well. I used my denman brush to help me and while brushing down I smoothed with my fingers.

love yourself first

AfroCurls wrote:

Thanks a lot Curltopia!

Those pictures are from the summertime and yeah, my hair was EXTREMELY dry. I was waiting on my Asha's products. :P

For Leave-In, I use Jamaican Mango and Lime Cactus Leave in Conditioner. My boyfriend's sending me a huge bottle of [buylink=http://www.curlmart.com/Elucence-Moisture-Balancing-Conditioner-p-39.html?utm_source=naturallycurly.com&utm_medium=text-link&utm_content=curltalk-post-text&utm_campaign=elucence-elucence-moisture-balancing-conditioner]Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner[/buylink] (yes, he's wonderful) so I plan to alternate between that and the Jamaican Mango and Lime (the ethnic hair store near my school runs out of the JM&L kinda quick).

You are welcome! I've never tried Asha's products. I need more products like I need a hole in my head, but when you get a chance, tell me a little bit more about them 8)

I can never find that Mango and Lime leave in, but I did find and like the jelly stuff in that line. YOUR BF sounds great with the Elucence gifts! Good man to give you hair stuff - you should keep him!

susu

I think your hair looks great, and the curls actually look pretty uniform in that pic (at least compared to my hair). My canopy has a completely different texture from the rest of my hair, and if I want it to blend more, I'll do what curleeQ suggested - apply products section by section and finger swirl the canopy.

babyphat21

Hey!! Your hair is very pretty. I'm lovin the corkscrew action. To all those whose hair spirals, I'M SO JEALOUS!! My hair is just extremely thick and in little waves, if you know what I mean. Some spiral on the ends, some don't. I can't blend them because I have textures 3b-4a on my head and I'm not that skilled at styling, lol. Just add more product and hit that middle spot. I too had the same problem, but I now look in the bathroom mirror. I have 3 "mirror tiles" on my bathroom door and a mirror about a foot and a half above the toilet. This allows me to see the front and back of my hair while I am doing it. I just apply a bit more product to my frizzy spot and the problem is solved. Maybe my "mirror arrangement" may help you. LOL

jazzijenni81

our textures are very similar. my crown is very loose and s curled while every other spot is o-coily. for the looser crown, i kind of twist it when appying products. that way, it blends w the dominant coils...or i just spread the looser texture out so it overlaps the coily part...and you can see the variation of curl pattern.

your hair is lovely honey, so dont sweat it

subbrock

i think your hair looks nice too...

but i agree with mostly what curltopia said.

my hair went through a phase where i had a smiliar problem and i eliminated products with 'cones at the time, and then my curls came back. but ive also noticed that as my hair grows longer, the back portion (crown?) gets less and less curly and just more "S" shaped. whatever happens, dont fret too much over it.

curltopia- when are you going to post some new pics????

subbrock

i think your hair looks nice too...

but i agree with mostly what curltopia said.

my hair went through a phase where i had a smiliar problem and i eliminated products with 'cones at the time, and then my curls came back. but ive also noticed that as my hair grows longer, the back portion (crown?) gets less and less curly and just more "S" shaped. whatever happens, dont fret too much over it.

curltopia- when are you going to post some new pics????