I wanted to share this in case it helps someone going through something similar. I had severe anemia, and it caused a huge loss of hair density and a dramatic change in my curl pattern/texture.

As you can see in 2023 I cut all my curly ends (old hair) and what was left was wavy/straight the texture was very loose. It was devastating and confusing. This was also the year I was hospitalised.

Thankfully, my hair eventually grew back, which I’m very grateful for. I think genetics played a big role in that.
I also had other symptoms at the time that I unfortunately ignored or blamed on other things. Looking back, I really wish I had paid more attention.

If your hair suddenly changes dramatically in texture, density, or shedding, don’t automatically blame hard water or your products. Sometimes your hair is reflecting what’s happening internally, that was a huge lesson for me to learn.

Getting blood work done and checking for underlying deficiencies can be really important.

Sharing this because I know how confusing it can be when your hair suddenly feels completely different, and hopefully it helps someone connect the dots.

I am happy to answer any questions as well 🤍

My routine:

any clarifying shampoo, now i’m using kerestase

a very hydrating and thick conditioner, now im using garnier the avocado one

garnier loving blends grape leave-in, the one in the pink bottle

garnier fructis mousse or any curly mousse will do!!

dry with diffuser

always wear a bonnet to sleep and also around the house

I’ve recently cut my hair to this bob-ish curly cut with bangs, last pic was before the haircut. I honestly thought that the cut made me look more youthful but I got some comments that it’s actually aging me. Is this true?
Also, I love the greys, I’ve had them since I was in university and I keep them on purpose because I think they’re unique and give me a signature look, but now I’m worried it’s making me look like I’m in my forties?

Routine:
Shampoo with Innersense hair bath, condition with Innersense conditioner
Leave hair dripping wet, rake in Camille rose moisture milk, and then sometimes I add Cantu curl activator if my hair is feeling extra frizzy (I have EXTREMELY dry hair)
Then dry with a diffuser either midway then air dry or all the way if I’m in a rush

I hope this helps someone who’s scared of trying gel. It’s totally worth it!!

Routine-

Vitamino color spectrum shampoo
Redken frizz dismiss shampoo
Dove 10 in 1 deep repair hair mask
Redken leave in conditioner
Moxie leave in conditioner
Manetain curl cream
Oasis volume and hold mousse
Wella curl mousse
Manetain strong hold gel
A little bit of ashba strong hold gel on the ends
Olaplex no.7 bonding oil to scrunch out the cast
Bare anatomy volumising powder

Bowl method after applying the redken, moxie and manetain curl cream. Applied wella mousse on ends and scrunched till absorbed. Oasis mousse on the roots. Sectioned hair into 3 parts, brush styled each section, and applied gel section wise. Cup diffused once, and then diffused hair upside down and side to side and cup diffused again. Then scrunched out the cast and added volumising powder to the back and front of the head, then fluffed up the roots.

I never took proper care of my hair up until 6 months ago. Didn’t know what products to use, had no idea what pattern my hair was because I would towel dry my head aggressively and assumed I just had some loose waves that sometimes look okay but never really looked bodied.

I’ve since changed my routine and have focused on delicacy, hydration, and protection. I have started sleeping on a silk pillowcase, and I shampoo fairly regularly, every two days usually.

The routine that brought life to my mediocre hair:

Olaplex no. 4 & 5 curl shampoo and conditioner
Olaplex no.6 bond styling cream
olaplex curl defining gel
olaplex bonding oil

I ensure my hair is basically soaking wet, I then scrunch no. 6 into my hair upside down for about a minute, making sure it’s evenly spread. Then I’ll take about two quarter-sized amounts of the curl gel and focus it more towards the ends, making sure the curls clump together instead of separating too early before drying.

Once the hair has completely dried (I air dry) I then work about 4 droplets of the oil into my palms and scrunch that into the soft cast. It completely breaks away and leaves soft bouncy curls that have enhanced definition.

I honestly believe that most of the change just comes from the right kind of hydration my hair likes while not weighing my hair down. I don’t think expensive products are necessary to get a desired look, but I love these products for myself and haven’t found any real dupes yet.

Note: i blocked that person out good to protect their privacy

My hair hates moisture lol

Routine: garnier fructis curl nourish shampoo and conditioner and garnier fructis curl cream, scrunch and let air dry.
Satin pillow case.

After tons of research and FINALLY going through my routine, I feel like I could actually pull this off with a bit more practice!
BTW, this is Day 2 hair. I tried to fashion a bonnet out of my scarf, but it obviously came off while I was moving around in my sleep. The clumps still stayed for the most part! I'm dealing with some frizz and residue, but I'll solve that :)

Product Research + Findings

1. Get minis or second-hand hair products because this ish can be priceyyy. I don't want to be broke during my trial-and-error phase, although I say this after spending €105 on dumb products — but hey, at least I learned. Second-hand can be risky, ofc, but you make the call.
2. There’s always that one product that helps with curl clumping and retention, and for me, that turned out to be mousse. I'd used Innersense's 'I Create Definition' mousse, which did the job in terms of curl formation, but left each curl feeling rough — even on Day 1. So I used ChatGPT to find mousses that prioritised curl formation + hold while still leaving my hair soft (The Doux Mousse Def, Umberto's Curl Whip, TréLuxe, Camille Rose Spiked Honey, and Rizos Curls topped the list). I think the right mousse is everyone's BFF, and I would recommend that it be the heart of your routine.
3. Since I opted for a mousse with hydrating and softening ingredients, I opted for regular wash products that wouldn't overdo it (ChatGPT helped me analyse a bunch of products, and I finally arrived at the UG Jelly duo). I also did a dry run with just shampoo and conditioner to see how my hair felt after a regular wash and air-dry/quick blow-dry, without any styling. The UG Jelly duo worked well: my hair felt clean and a bit soft, but not silky or smooth, which was good, as I didn't want every step of my routine to slather my mane with butters.
4. A lot of curly-hair videos and posts will tell you to condition your hair to combat frizz. But with curly hair, frizz is simply a strand that didn’t find a home within a curl clump, so curl formation is more important. Butters and silicones may work well for some people, but I didn’t want ingredients that could weigh my hair down — especially not while I was trying to bring out my curls. My philosophy was: you can always make hair feel softer, but first you need to understand what shape and size your curls form into, and loading your hair with heavy conditioning agents can make that harder. I stayed away from creams and leave-ins for this very reason.
5. People really go to town with that spray bottle thingy, but again, water weighs down your hair. I only used my spray bottle towards the end of my styling session (around 40 minutes after I took off my towel turban) when the hair started feeling 'wet/damp rough'.

Products:

1. Shampoo: Purple L'Oreal shampoo and Umberto Giannini Jelly Shampoo (I had to mix them because my UG sample had pretty much run out)
2. Conditioner: As I Am Rice Water (this has both hydrating and moisturising ingredients, but it doesn't leave your hair feeling 'silky', even when it's on). I know I mentioned UG's Jelly Duo before, but their conditioner wasn't hydrating enough for me.
3. Mousse: The Doux Mousse Def (this is the stuff)
4. Gel: Umberto Giannini Jelly Gel

Process:

1. I did a regular wash with my shampoo and let the conditioner sit for a while (4-5 minutes).
2. I wrapped my hair in a towel for about five minutes while I got dressed. When I took it off, my hair was still wet and clumping up randomly, but it definitly wasn't sopping wet. Then sectioned it into four parts: the top half was divided into three sections — two on either side and one at the back — while the bottom half was left as is.
3. I started with the bottom section, working in about 3-4 pumps of mousse through it first. I then used the Bounce Curl brush to create ribbons throughout and gave each ribbon a quick twist. Since this section would eventually be covered by the others, I didn’t worry about getting every curl perfect.
4. I repeated the same process with the other three sections. The only difference was that, when brushing and twisting the curl strands, I worked with smaller amounts of hair within each section at a time, as doing the entire section at once was too much work (my elbows were screaming, I had to take breaks even while working with the smaller sections).
5. Once I was done, I did a quick diffuse (medium heat and speed) all over. After 2-3 minutes of this, I flipped my hair upside down GENTLY and started diffusing (low speed, high heat) properly. This is essential so that the hair that people will see won't have as much frizz. Then I remembered I had gel and rubbed a coin-sized amount between my palms and applied it all over with the praying hands method. I repeated that while standing up straight as well, just on the outer hair. Then I flipped my hair over again and diffused until it felt dry. I took breaks as needed because this was WORK.
6. After I was done diffusing, I let my hair be for at least 30-40 minutes so it could continue to dry. Then I started breaking the cast curl by curl. I didn't do it all at once, and I don't think I got them all — aka, don't touch them for as long as possible. I put on my scarf wrap and went to bed about 2 hours later.

Next steps (tips welcome!)

1. I'll stick with my conditioner, mousse, and gel, and might consider the As I Am Rice Water shampoo. I do have some frizz, so maybe a hydrating shampoo will help.
2. I'm dealing with some residue today, and I'm pretty sure it's from the gel, so need to figure that out.
3. I need that bonnet and also a haircut; I might ask for the back to be shorter and therefore easier to style. As of now, I don't know how to make the curls pop there 😄

I genuinely can’t decide 😭 Which one do you think complements better my curl pattern?

My routine:

any clarifying shampoo, now i’m using kerestase

a very hydrating and thick conditioner, now im using garnier the avocado one

garnier loving blends grape leave-in, the one in the pink bottle

garnier fructis mousse or any curly mousse will do!!

dry with diffuser

always wear a bonnet to sleep and also around the house

I cut about a foot of hair off in late June, inspired by Pinterest images of chic, edgy, curly bobs. But I just feel like mine looks cutesy at best and matronly at worst. I need some objective eyes to tell me where I went wrong, and how I might fix it to achieve the look I was originally going for.

The first three pics are me, and the last three are what I was hoping for. Is this a texture issue, a color issue, or do I need to revise the cut? I want to look more edgy than cutesy :(

Routine:

Most days: conditioner-only wash - Dove Coconut & Hydration Conditioner

2x per week: Dove Coconut and Hydration Shampoo followed by conditioner.

Wrap my hair in t-shirt while in the shower, then apply African Pride Moisture Miracle Curl Defining Gel, scrunch a bit and then dry using a bonnet dryer attachment.

This is my hair air-dried in both pictures. Routine for the first one was just Pantene and a dove conditioner bc I was feeling like crap and not taking care of it. while it has looked better, it hadn't in a while.

So on Thursday I got a wolf cut and the hair stylist said that I had curls and this would bring them out and I was like hell yeah I haven't seen them except some faint waves since a 2003 haircut that left me, or so I thought, straight haired forever.

Routine now: Shampoo "Opcion synergy blend PH neutro sin parabenos ni siliconas" and I'm using just a little spoon worth of the conditioning mask of the same line, as conditioner, I dont leave it in and I just tap it with the towel and do a lil scrunch it, air dry it, et voilà. I'm crazy about it. I love it! I'm not taking care of it at night and just sleep as is and wake up a bit straighter but nothing that a spray of water and a scrunch can't revive.

I believe my hair is 2b/2c and I find that no matter how I try and sleep my pattern is ruined by the morning. I’ve tried both a bonnet and a silk scarf, my hair doesn’t like going into a pineapple, and i’ve tried leaving the cast in and scrunching it out.

My current routine is:
Garnier Colour protect shampoo and curly shampoo,
Garnier Colour protect conditioner and then brushed in shower,
OGX Bond protein repair mist,
Brush styling with Umberto Giannini Mousse and Gel both scrunched in followed by being diffused.

I find that my hair looks lovely when dried and especially once the cast has been scrunched out but as soon as i sleep the pattern is disrupted and frizzy :/ Any advice would be appreciated - i’ve attached photos of my hair on better hair days and one wet.

​

Routine:

*Blood offering to the gods

*Garnier Whole Blends honey shampoo

*Apivita frequent use gentle daily conditioner (squish to condish, cold water)

*Quarter sized amount of Davines "this is a curl building serum" - my HG for years at this point - applied with praying hands then brushed with a wide toothed comb

*Diffuse on low heat hovering at the roots initially, then flipping upside down and zhuzh-ing the roots around with the diffuser tines. My hair is fine so if I cup diffuse the frizz is bad at the ends

*Stop when my hair is about 70% dry and lightly scrunch for a moment. I need to slightly break the cast or my hair can look stringy. I save the full scrunch for when the hair is dry

*Headbang a bit for photo friendly volume

I have 2a-2b fine hair, medium density, med-high porosity (I use lightening hair spray). My hair at the back never dries, is flat, and stays fluffy and undefined no matter how much product I use. My hair struggles to form a cast overall, even after diffusing. Even strong hold mousses don't do very much. I have tried plopping, micro plopping, washing the back more thoroughly, and finger coiling.

Current routine (once a week):

- double shampoo using Garnier Ultimate Blends argan oil shampoo

- Skala Dona as a conditioner, detangle, squish to condish

- micro plopping to remove water weight

- Umberto Giannini curl jelly, two generous dollops, scrunch in

- diffuse

- clarify every few washes with head and shoulders expert shampoo

Would appreciate advice on what I am doing wrong, drugstore products would be best!

Hello!

My routine on wash day:

Shampoo- OGX purple
Clarifying Shampoo- Aveeno
Hair mask- Tsubaki
Hair cream - NYM cream
Hair gel -NYM gel
Bounce Curl styling brush. Scrunch.
Diffuse the crown and both sides.
Diffuse the rest of the hair upside down until dry.
Shake shake!
Pineapple cover. Protect with silk bonnet.

Could you suggest what else I’m missing?

Please help me figure out my hair! When I was younger I had beautiful little curls. Now I don't really know what it is/wants to be. Whenever I dry my hair it gets very frizzy and when I air dry it looks like the picture. Important to say in this picture exactly I did use a function beauty wavy hair leave in after I got out of the shower. But it also kinda looks like this when I don't use anything on. Am I using this cream wrong? I put it in wet hair and gave some scrunches. But I don't know what to think abt this result. I somehow wish they were more defined(?) I don't know🤦‍♀️
Can anyone in similar situations recommend me what hair routine you have? Right now I'm using R+Co Dallas shampoo and conditioner so its not really specific for curls. Also like to use a satin bonnet to avoid my hair tangling on my neck while I sleep. Any tips/recommendations are welcome! 🙏

Unfortunately my last post got deleted by the moderator due to not share my full routine 🥲, so I'd love to reshare this after 3 weeks approximately. Honestly I love how my features are showing now more than before and I feel both of them are good and in every length I do have different character and personality!!! Let me know if I should always stay like the after hair cut or should I go back to long length&bangs.

Routine: please moderator I am using a local Iranian curly hair brand 😭. Clarifying shampoo twice a month ( NoorNatural its an Iranian brand ) with the banana conditioner as the same brand. Once every 2 weeks I use Kinky Curly deep conditioner. I Style my curls with Lola from Rio gel and Inahsi leave in conditioner fragrance free and some time I use Lola from Rio milk leave in conditioner spray also it's amazing I highly recommend both of them brush with bounce curl volume brush and diffuse with Dyson Travel the new model ( unfortunately I used to mention Dyson Nural and after 2 years stopped working 😭😭😭since I live in Iran I can't find a Dyson store here, so I ordered a new one💔 good news was cheaper than Nural and in my opinion lighter and much better. BTW the after photos are day 3 or 4 I can't remember, but what I did is comb it with volume comb then spray only water then comb and shake my head.

I MIGHT LOSE THE INTERNET AGAIN DUE TO OUR SITUATION, SO I WILL MAKE SURE TO REPLY EVERYONE ♥️♥️♥️

I usually get a buzz cut each month because how dry and frizzy my hair is, but right now it's nearly 5 months since I didn't get a haircut and my hair looks so ridiculous, I had my hair twice grown for 3 months and each time the barber kinda indirectly scolded me how puffy my hair is with an annoyed expression in his face, idk if he hates his job and don't wanna deal with extra work since most dudes in my country get a haircut every 2 weeks to show off the fading in the sides or it's my fault for letting a hair like that grow that much

My routine:

- I use shampoo only (head and shoulders), I can't afford any extra hair products since I am still a student

- I use a plastic comb to push it backward for styling

- After I clean it from shampoo, the curles are defined and don't look too bad but as soon as it dries up it gets puffy

Thanks in advance

Hi all—I read a bunch online and attempted to combine all of the various advice I saw for curly hair into this horrifically complicated routine, which I have followed for about a month. I am still not getting the hydration I want, and generally just unsure if I'm doing the right things and how to synthesize all of the advice I see into an actual routine. I would appreciate any and all advice about my routine! I would also appreciate any advice on what haircuts/styles I could consider!

Tuesday

conditioner (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the hair

Apply regular shampoo (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the scalp

Rinse 

Rizos Curls 6 in 1 Styling Cream

Blow Dry with diffuser

Argan oil

Sat

Apply regular shampoo (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the scalp

conditioner (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the hair

Rinse 

Rizos Curls 6 in 1 Styling Cream

Blow Dry with diffuser

Argan oil

Thursday, Sun

conditioner (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the hair

Apply medicated shampoo (nizoral) to the scalp

Rinse 

Rizos Curls 6 in 1 Styling Cream

Blow Dry with diffuser

Argan oil

FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH 

Apply clarifying shampoo (Garnier Fructus Pure Clean) to the scalp

conditioner (shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine) to the hair

Rizos Curls 6 in 1 Styling Cream

Blow Dry with diffuser

Argan oil

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Dont wet the scalp or hair, dont use any products (shower cap)

Routine: wash every 3-4 days using curl smith curl shampoo and conditioner. Use aveda leave in conditioner on wet hair and EVO coil cream. Diffuse to almost dry.