Looking for my hair twin! 2C/3A - Fine, thick, frizzy and needs help!

marishal · October 2016

Hi everyone! First post here. I've been trying to do things the CG way for years now. I am at my wits' end!!!! Hoping to find someone with hair like mine who has found their HG products and technique.

My hair is between 2c and 3a (will post a pic when I figure it out). It's very fine but thick, tends to be dry, and hates to clump or hold a curl. It usually looks like 80s rocker hair -- frizzy, stringy and puffy, no matter what I do.

Here's what I do: Gentle shampoo or conditioning rinse, very moisturising condish that I mostly leave in. Generous amount of gel applied when soaking wet, sometimes with a tiny bit of seal product first. Gently blot and leave alone. About a million hours later when it finally dries (diffusing and plopping frizzes it), it looks like a frizzy, undefined mess (at least 80% of the time). If it looks OK, it looks like crap the next day, no matter what I do.

Currently toggling between: KC Come Clean, Jessicurl Cleansing Cream, Innersense Daily Conditioner, Curl Junkie Smoothing Conditioner, a drop of Innersense Curl Control or KC Perfectly Polished, JC Spiralicious or KCCC.

For nighttime, tried pineappleing, wrapping, loose braid, silk pillowcase.

Please someone tell me what to do! I feel I have given this a serious effort and my hair always looks terrible and is always tied back. TIA!

Therese1 · October 2016

You might be reacting to glycerin in your products. Do any of them contain glycerin?

There could also be an issue with protein, either getting too much or the wrong kind, or not getting enough. (I know, not so helpful!) I would check your products for protein and see if you could be overloading on protein, or overloading on a particular type of protein, or whether you are not getting much protein and could use a protein-rich conditioner.

Another thing you could try is an oil pre-poo. You can take an oil (people generally use olive or coconut oil) and put a few drops on your dry hair, just enough to make the hair look a little dirty. Let it sit for several hours and then wash it out as usual with your shampoo. This will increase the hair's flexibility and softness, if that is an issue.

Therese1 · October 2016

You might be reacting to glycerin in your products. Do any of them contain glycerin?

There could also be an issue with protein, either getting too much or the wrong kind, or not getting enough. (I know, not so helpful!) I would check your products for protein and see if you could be overloading on protein, or overloading on a particular type of protein, or whether you are not getting much protein and could use a protein-rich conditioner.

Another thing you could try is an oil pre-poo. You can take an oil (people generally use olive or coconut oil) and put a few drops on your dry hair, just enough to make the hair look a little dirty. Let it sit for several hours and then wash it out as usual with your shampoo. This will increase the hair's flexibility and softness, if that is an issue.

curlyannie80 · October 2016

Hi, have you tried using a thicker/creamy type of product at the end of, or some time during, your regimen? I'm wondering if maybe your hair isn't getting enough moisture?

Sent from my XT1254 using CurlTalk App

marishal · October 2016

Hi there. There is glycerin and protein in most of my products. I know that some hair doesn't like these things... Before I spend my rent $ on all new products, do you know if either of these in excess cause hair to frizz/not to clump? Wish I could pinpoint my problem! I'll upload profile pic of my hair after I attempt to do it tomorrow. It's currently tied back, as always.

Thanks for the suggestions!

marishal · October 2016

curlyannie80 wrote: »

Hi, have you tried using a thicker/creamy type of product at the end of, or some time during, your regimen? I'm wondering if maybe your hair isn't getting enough moisture?

Sent from my XT1254 using CurlTalk App

I feel like I'm loading it up with really moisturizing conditioners which I mostly leave in, but it does always seem dry. I also sometimes do a coconut oil treatment.

naturecat · October 2016

Yes, glycerin can cause frizz for a lot of people. It can actually dry out the hair, and thus I imagine also impede clumping. Protein overload isn't a good thing, though that tends to cause brittle stiff hair. Maybe try products without glycerin at least and see what happens.

Therese1 · October 2016

I know that in my case, excess protein does impede clumping and creates frizz. I don't react badly to glycerin, so I can't speak from personal experience as to what glycerin does regarding clumping.

marishal · October 2016

So I've gone through all my products and they virtually all contain protein or glycerin. Oops. I need new products but I'm in Australia, so it takes a while for me to get stuff from Curlmart.

So my question is: What's better in the mean time, the high protein conditioner or the conditioner with glycerin (middle of ingredient list). My styling products also tend to be protein or glycerin.

And does anyone know of any drugstore brands with no glycerin/protein/sulfates/cones I could use in the mean time? Thanks!

marishal · October 2016

So I've gone through all my products and they virtually all contain protein or glycerin. Oops. I need new products but I'm in Australia, so it takes a while for me to get stuff from Curlmart.

So my question is: What's better in the mean time, the high protein conditioner or the conditioner with glycerin (middle of ingredient list). My styling products also tend to be protein or glycerin.

And does anyone know of any drugstore brands with no glycerin/protein/sulfates/cones I could use in the mean time? Thanks!

naturecat · October 2016

I think be scientific; try avoiding just one and see what the results are. Glycerin in any amount is a problem for some people; I'd try avoiding that first.
As for drugstore brands, I don't use them, but I've seen people recommending LA Looks sports gel.

naturecat · October 2016

I think be scientific; try avoiding just one and see what the results are. Glycerin in any amount is a problem for some people; I'd try avoiding that first.
As for drugstore brands, I don't use them, but I've seen people recommending LA Looks sports gel.

marishal · October 2016

naturecat wrote: »

I think be scientific; try avoiding just one and see what the results are. Glycerin in any amount is a problem for some people; I'd try avoiding that first.
As for drugstore brands, I don't use them, but I've seen people recommending LA Looks sports gel.

Thanks! Will do. In the mean time I found this conditioner at a local shop. Do these ingredients look OK to you? This will be used until I get some new products from Curlmart.

Purified Water, Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol, Guar Gum, Wheatgerm Oil, Aloe, Birch Extract, Biodynamic Avocado Oil, Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Lavender Essential Oil, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate Organic Herbal Blend of Rosehip, Hops, Chamomile, Calendula; Shea Butter

marishal · October 2016

naturecat wrote: »

I think be scientific; try avoiding just one and see what the results are. Glycerin in any amount is a problem for some people; I'd try avoiding that first.
As for drugstore brands, I don't use them, but I've seen people recommending LA Looks sports gel.

Thanks! Will do. In the mean time I found this conditioner at a local shop. Do these ingredients look OK to you? This will be used until I get some new products from Curlmart.

Purified Water, Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol, Guar Gum, Wheatgerm Oil, Aloe, Birch Extract, Biodynamic Avocado Oil, Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Lavender Essential Oil, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate Organic Herbal Blend of Rosehip, Hops, Chamomile, Calendula; Shea Butter

naturecat · October 2016

Nice, chemical free to boot! For me, Shea butter would build up and weigh down my hair, but everyone is different. Also, I believe the Jessicurl Spiralicious you're using is glycerin and protein free.

Therese1 · October 2016

I think that the new conditioner looks good. As for the shea butter, since it is the last ingredient, I wouldn't worry about it too much. And as naturecat says, everyone's hair is different. Mine actually really likes shea butter, because it gives me extra volume, I think because it sits on top of the hair and doesn't absorb in readily. It is kind of a "dry" oil.

As for pinpointing the problem, I would do whatever is easiest first: use no products with protein, or no products with glycerin. Omitting glycerin might be the easier of the two, because you would probably see pretty quick results. Protein overoad can take a while to wear off from the hair, but glycerin does not bond to the hair shaft like protein.

Therese1 · October 2016

I think that the new conditioner looks good. As for the shea butter, since it is the last ingredient, I wouldn't worry about it too much. And as naturecat says, everyone's hair is different. Mine actually really likes shea butter, because it gives me extra volume, I think because it sits on top of the hair and doesn't absorb in readily. It is kind of a "dry" oil.

As for pinpointing the problem, I would do whatever is easiest first: use no products with protein, or no products with glycerin. Omitting glycerin might be the easier of the two, because you would probably see pretty quick results. Protein overoad can take a while to wear off from the hair, but glycerin does not bond to the hair shaft like protein.

marishal · October 2016

How do you feel about Glycerin in shampoo? Is it OK because it gets washed out?

naturecat · October 2016

People who are sensitive to glycerin have done okay with it as a wash out, but everyone is different.

curlyannie80 · October 2016

My hair absolutely hates glycerin, but if it's in a shampoo, it doesn't affect it. Also, if it's close to the bottom of the list, its ok, too. One of the products I can't live without is the Shea Moisture Smoothie, and glycerin is the 7th ingredient I believe, and it doesn't frizz out my hair. But that's literally what I look for in a list, if I see glycerin within the first 7-8 ingredients, ill instantly put it back on the shelf.

Sent from my XT1254 using CurlTalk App

marishal · October 2016

Thanks everyone! I am really surprised to see how many of my products contain glycerin! I added pics to my original post. This is after doing my careful routine with no glycerin. Better than it has been in a while but still looking very frizzy (more than it shows in pics) with scraggly uneven curl formation. If anyone has any advice based on these pics, please let me know! Product recs also appreciated! (I'll check out the Shea Moisture Smoothie although I am scared of glycerin now.) Thanks!

Bethsmind · October 2016

I don't have the same type of hair as you do, but I do struggle with very frizzy stringy hair. The best results that i have gotten is applying a protein, moisturizing, and glycerine rich conditioner as a leave in. I have had good luck with applying a dime size amount of either Deva curl delight one conditioner or maple hollistics silk18. Then i apply a moisturizing gel and scrunch my hair. My hair has to be dripping wet when I apply the gel though or else the results equal more stringy and less defined.
You might check out this blog. This girl had a few different takes in her styling routine than what you might have read for curly hair. Like for instance she combs her product through her hair while it's really wet or uses a root brush.... But her hair is completely frizz free and very curly. I tried the combing product through my hair like she said and even though i didn't use a gel because I was out, my hair had better definition and less frizz than if I had just raked the product through my hair like normal. I then plopped my hair for only 15 minutes before letting it air dry the rest of the way.

marishal · October 2016

Thanks! That link you provided is great. She has amazing hair. I wish mine looked like that. The thing I'm struggling with is figuring out what ingredients my hair likes and doesn't. It seems the appearance of having too much protein or not enough protein is very similar. She likes the polyquats in curlkeeper but some people hate this ingredient. And when you're using a cocktail of many different products, how can you pinpoint which ingredient your hair may be reacting to? It's an expensive proposition to figure it all out. Thanks again.

Savagegirl · October 2016

I second the coconut pre poo idea.. I too had very frizzy hair and I do NOT know why I ignored the whole pree poo thing for so long... But I just finished pre pooing with coconut oil ( left it in for maybe an hour) and WOW! The most frizzless curls ever!

I am fine dense haired, low po and protein sensitive.. so afterwards I used a little baking soda in my cowash (yup) followed by a devacurl OC and rinse, Kinky Curly leavie in (a bit rinsed out) and jessicurl spiralicious to top. Fantastic result!!

Looking for my hair twin! 2C/3A - Fine, thick, frizzy and needs help!

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Looking for my hair twin! 2C/3A - Fine, thick, frizzy and needs help!

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