A cry for help - stop the fuzz

FuzzyMonster · 11-04-2012, 09:20 AM

I am at my wits' end. I feel like I've tried everything and my hair is frizzy no matter what I do. I am sick of it. It's winter! It's zero humidity!

Anyone want to systematically help me figure out what I need to do? I'll try just about anything at this point. I'm sick of looking and feeling like a frump.

Thanks for listening to my whining, and thanks for your help! It's nice to have a community that understands.

Ml001 · 11-04-2012, 10:00 AM

What are your hair properties?

FuzzyMonster · 11-04-2012, 10:51 AM

Oops, sorry--thought I had that in my sig line. 2A, fine, thin-to-medium, low porosity, shoulder length with a few layers.

Thanks for your help!

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mhen76 · 11-04-2012, 03:28 PM

Frizz can be caused by many different things. What is your routine and what products are you using? For me, I get frizzy if I'm overconditioned, I'm manipulating my hair too much during the drying process or have build-up. I need to make sure I've got a good balance between moisture and protein, not touch my hair while it's drying and clarify occasionally.

FuzzyMonster · 11-04-2012, 05:06 PM

I did a "final" sulfate wash a week ago. Since then, I've washed with water only daily, except twice I washed with conditioner. I cowashed with Everday Shea Moisture. I did not use any other products until today. Today, I shampooed with Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo and followed with Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner and Sally's equivalent to Matrix gel.

It doesn't seem to matter whether I use syling products or not, or what kind of conditioner, or when I wash it, I always have frizz!

I tried washing at night versus in the morning, air drying versus plopping, and I get frizz in every situation.

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FuzzyMonster · 11-05-2012, 12:16 PM

Today I tried adding honey to my cowash. It's frizzier than ever!

Guess I should just get a Chi flatiron and stop worrying about it.

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Ml001 · 11-05-2012, 12:26 PM

Honey is a humectant. It pulled moisture from your hair since there is none in the atmosphere.

Low-po hair generally does well with (gentle) heat. Be sure to get your hair wet with warm water to help open cuticles (or use a bs wash), apply conditioner then cover with a shower cap for the remainder of your shower to do a sort of team treatment. Rinse with warm water as well. (And an ACV rinse if you used bs.) then dry to about 75-80% with a diffuser. Do not touch it while it dries the rest of the way.

Do not use protein for a while and see if that helps.

FuzzyMonster · 11-05-2012, 03:16 PM

Thank you! I appreciate the tips!

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kathymack · 11-05-2012, 04:58 PM

My hair is fine/low porosity. In the winter, it needs more moisture (layering of products) and protein. I put products in soaking wet hair, use curl towels to scrunch out the water before I diffuse. I don't touch my hair with the dryer (or my hands) while diffusing. Other then putting in my part and clipping the front out of my eyes, I leave it alone for a few hours until it's dry. Then, I scrunch--if necessary.

Other thing is to be careful with the products. My hair doesn't like chemicals. I stay away from most, especially polyquats. They coat my hair and cause frizz. They also make it so other products don't absorb.

FuzzyMonster · 11-06-2012, 05:22 AM

Kathymack, what products work for you? And how do you layer them?

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kathymack · 11-06-2012, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuzzyMonster

Kathymack, what products work for you? And how do you layer them?

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Most of my favorite products are in my signature.

I wet, use a rinse out and style every day. I rotate products, seldom letting myself use any one product more then once in five days, if that. In the low dewpoints, I use a leave in, curl enhancer and jelly product. In the high dew points, I use a leave in OR a curl enhancer and a jelly product. In ideal conditions, I see what I think my hair needs.

I put products into soaking wet hair, gently finger comb and then scrunch each layer. If you haven't seen the DVD from the newer CG Book, it really shows you how to handle your hair. I could never use all of the product that they do.

FuzzyMonster · 11-06-2012, 09:37 PM

I will have to go online to see your signature. Apparently our sigs don't show up on the app.

I was trying to use as few products as possible. I tried that for a week. Maybe I didn't wait long enough for my natural oils to work as they should, but I'm not convinced it would have helped. Anyway, the idea of rotating products that much is new to me. Thanks for the idea.

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Ml001 · 11-06-2012, 09:53 PM

On my iPhone app, if I touch the poster's name it brings up three options. I click 'more' and a menu pops up. I select 'open in safari' and it takes me to their post in my browser where I can see their siggy.

Knotty_Maddy · 11-06-2012, 10:49 PM

you could always try the super-soaker method...that helped me when I was at wit's end

it was the only thing that worked for me. It might work for you - or another method listed in the Methods section will help

the most important part of the method, I think, is to use a Denman brush. It puts the hair back where it belongs. So, once you have washed and detangled while conditioning, and rinsed that out, put in your leave in and then brush your hair again with the Denman while it is still sopping wet. This creates clumps and will put the "wild" hair strands back into the curl clumps, thus preventing frizz. Then, gently lift handfuls of water into your curl clumps, in a scrunch type motion (but don't squeeze the hair) then plop for a bit in a cotton t-shirt, or let it drip off onto a cotton t-shirt around your shoulders. Then put your styling product in, then scrunch excess moisture out with another cotton t-shirt. Then, either replop for a few minutes more, or just place your hair where you want it and do not touch until it is dry. Hth!

You can watch the super-soaker method video on the Methods stickies in either the Newbies column (top of the column) or in the General hair discussion column

Good luck!

kathymack · 11-07-2012, 05:40 AM

Knotty-Maddy, I just answered in your thread about hold. Now that I read the post above, I have something to add about your problem with hold (don't know if this will help with OP's frizz and don't want to hijack this thread.) When I used a Denman brush, my curl feel out during the day. It wasn't a problem for me any other time. Since I've come on to nc.com and learned how to take care of my hair, my curl pattern has become stronger and I don't need hold.

Every so often, I'd try the Denman brush--and that day, my hair would start out well and then the curl would loosen throughout the day. Had to stop myself from trying to use the brush--so I gave it to my neighbor. Never had a problem with hold after I did that.

To the OP. How you handle your hair has a lot to do with subsequent frizz. I learned that from the DVD in the CG book. If you handle your hair gently, it will reduce the frizz. On the DVD, they use a method that's similar to the "ice queen" method for conditioning/applying product. You may want to try that one.

FuzzyMonster · 11-07-2012, 05:55 AM

Thank you all so much!! I have the new CG book on hold at the library. Hopefully it will have the DVD with it.

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Knotty_Maddy · 11-07-2012, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

Knotty-Maddy, I just answered in your thread about hold. Now that I read the post above, I have something to add about your problem with hold (don't know if this will help with OP's frizz and don't want to hijack this thread.) When I used a Denman brush, my curl feel out during the day. It wasn't a problem for me any other time. Since I've come on to nc.com and learned how to take care of my hair, my curl pattern has become stronger and I don't need hold.

Every so often, I'd try the Denman brush--and that day, my hair would start out well and then the curl would loosen throughout the day. Had to stop myself from trying to use the brush--so I gave it to my neighbor. Never had a problem with hold after I did that.

To the OP. How you handle your hair has a lot to do with subsequent frizz. I learned that from the DVD in the CG book. If you handle your hair gently, it will reduce the frizz. On the DVD, they use a method that's similar to the "ice queen" method for conditioning/applying product. You may want to try that one.

Kathymack, thank you. I did get curl fallout if I used the wide-tooth comb, but when I began to use the Denman, it actually made my hair curl more...? I have become more of a 3A than a 2C since I began using it. I threw my wide tooth comb in the garbage, lol! And the Denman certainly cut my frizz down to almost nothing! But I will skip it today and see what happens

that might be my whole problem right there. That, or I am seriously over-conditioned...One thing I do know is that you know way more about curly hair than me, so I will certainly take your tips!

FuzzyMonster, good luck! I hope the book helps you! I need to get it myself...I did find that since I began playing around with the techniques here, and changing up my products, my frizz was significantly reduced.

FuzzyMonster · 11-07-2012, 04:29 PM

Well, something has helped! Yesterday I tried putting the shower cap on over conditioner while I showered, and I used the diffuser without touching my hair with it. Today, I did the shower cap thing and let it air dry. Both days, my hair has shown improvement! I think it must be the shower cap. Is it because it's helping to retain the heat, or because it's protecting my hair from the steam of the shower, or both?

Anyway, I'm going to keep doing that and see if it continues to help, and maybe try some of the other suggestions, too. I like to try only one or two things at a time so I can pinpoint what has what effect.

I don't know if the conditioner I used the past 2 days has protein or not, but that might be a factor, too. I used Suave Tropical Coconut.

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Ml001 · 11-07-2012, 04:51 PM

Low-po hair has a tightly closed cuticle...the heat helps to open the cuticle. Putting the shower cap on is sort of a mini steam treatment - it warms the hair to open the cuticle. Also, leaving the conditioner on for longer gives it more time to absorb.

You have more discipline than me to just try one or two things at once. It's the best approach, though!!

Yes, the suave coconut has protein - silk amino acids.

Glad you are finding some success. It can be frustrating sometimes but it's worth it!!

LilaGirl · 11-08-2012, 07:53 AM

Kathy,

When you say you ro every day, do you actually cowash or just condition, comb through and RO?

I'm struggling with second-day hair so I may need to do every day too - but I don't want to get dryer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuzzyMonster

Kathymack, what products work for you? And how do you layer them?

Sent from my SPH-D700 using CurlTalk App

Most of my favorite products are in my signature.

I wet, use a rinse out and style every day. I rotate products, seldom letting myself use any one product more then once in five days, if that. In the low dewpoints, I use a leave in, curl enhancer and jelly product. In the high dew points, I use a leave in OR a curl enhancer and a jelly product. In ideal conditions, I see what I think my hair needs.

I put products into soaking wet hair, gently finger comb and then scrunch each layer. If you haven't seen the DVD from the newer CG Book, it really shows you how to handle your hair. I could never use all of the product that they do.