applying gel with the "palm scrunch" method

Comments

• Sbudsky Registered Users Posts: 261 Curl Neophyte

  April 2011

  IMHO, scrunching can break up curls and super-soaking can rinse out some product. My curls also couldn't stand up to raking or combing in product.
  
  To address these issues, I came up with this routine:
  -I thoroughly rake a small amount of gel through soaking wet hair from near the root to the tip. After this, my hair is stringy and hardly has any visible curl, but that's okay.
  -Next, I super-soak in order to re-clump.
  -I then gently scrunch out the water with the palms of my hands. I find the gel I've already added helps to prevent un-clumping.
  -I plop for 30 minutes or so, until my hair is not dripping but still wet to the touch. I take my hair out of the plop, and gently scrunch in more gel to make up for whatever was lost while super-soaking. (I've also found that gel gives me better hold in less wet hair.) Then I don't touch my hair for at least 10 minutes.
  
  If you try this and find that your clumps break up after the last step, you could instead add the second round of gel when you're squeezing out the water after super-soaking.

  waves, loose coils, and cherub curls (=mixed 2s through 3a), very fine texture overall (but with medium and even coarse strands scattered throughout)

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• tresses2 Registered Users Posts: 44

  April 2011

  do you do a regular "scrunch" to put the gel in? do you just do it gently? since you have the same problems as me do you have the same problems with your part? any tips about fixing that as well? thanks for the tips, I'll def use them

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• Sbudsky Registered Users Posts: 261 Curl Neophyte

  April 2011

  I coat my hands with gel and basically just cup each clump of curls and scrunch it towards my head very gently, only once or twice per curl-clump, if that makes sense, and then don't touch my hair at all.
  
  My part will get really screwed up if I try to rinse upside down, but it usually doesn't get too messed up when I flip my head over to super soak or scrunch. If it does, I gently fix it with my fingers and then do a mini super-soak to re-clump.
  
  Let me know how it works!

  waves, loose coils, and cherub curls (=mixed 2s through 3a), very fine texture overall (but with medium and even coarse strands scattered throughout)

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• wavynwild16 Registered Users Posts: 2,121

  April 2011

  Maybe you were referring to "pressing" instead of "scrunching"? I know some people on here press their hair up to the top of their head to still encourage curl and avoid scrunching. It's kinda hard to explain, but my above illustration is kinda hard to visualize, so I'll try to create a good picture for you! When you scrunch, you usually let all your hair clump up into your hand and then squeeze your fists. Instead of squeezing, you just lift the clump of hair in your hand up to your scalp and press it there. The natural twists in your hair should still be there, and you should get some water and curl enhancement out of your hair this way.
  
  HTH!

  Type 2c/3a with lots of hair and a super sensitive scalp! Med/slightly coarse texture, low porosity and elasticity.
  
  Favorite...
  Low poo: Organix TTM, Essential Wholesale Free & Clean
  RO/LI: TN, GFTN, YTC
  Stylers: EcoStylers, GF Curl Shaping Gel, Aussie Aussome Volume Mousse & Instant Freeze Gel, GFPC, LALNC, La Bella Lots of Curls, Apricot Oil, KMFUM, AO B5DG
  Extras: sugar scrubs, AVG washes, pre-poos with EVCO, oiling scalp before washes, plopping, gelatin PT.
  Mod-CG since 12/1/10! :happy7:

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• Saila Registered Users Posts: 1,212 Curl Neophyte

  April 2011

  First I rub the gel between my palms. Then I smooth it on my wet (more than damp but not soaking) hair, one hand on each side of my hair, kind of like clapping. (Imagine paper going through a printer.)
  
  Then I scrunch. But I have also done the palm thing. Not too much of a difference, scrunching is just more potent and distributes product more effectively for me.

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