My guess is that your hair is getting dried out from the shampoo, which is what usually makes hair react so dramatically to humidity. More healthy oils in the hair help keep it hydrated and frizz resistant. How often are you using shampoo? It might be worth changing that up and finding a more gentle, PH balanced shampoo that you only use when your scalp is actually greasy and itchy, and otherwise only rinse your hair with water when you shower for a few days.
I have similar hair, I hope you find a solution that I can copy 😂
Routine:
(first 2 photos are day 2 after washing):
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Oils on hair to detangle before shower
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Detangle with fingers or the 'wet brush'
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Shampoo with a sls clarifying shampoo panten volume (shampoo, rinse, repeat)
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treatment deep conditioner from Jessicurl, detangle with wet brush, pack more treatment, let sit for 15 min)
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Wash, add a bit more treatment as a leave in, and plop with a t shirt while still in shower.
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Spray john Frida styling spray/ jessicurl gel
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Defuse on low heat and low power / put into foam rollers and sleep on them / foam rollers + defuse
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Sleep in a lose bun (can't pineapple because my hair is too long) on silk sheets, or in a silk bonnet.
Please help me.... I don't even care about the curls anymore, I just want it to stop being so frizzy and whispy....
I live in Texas which is pretty humid too.
I try to avoid brushing my hair in any way, even in the shower. It keeps the curls from aligning on their own. The most I do is use my fingers to detangle during conditioner. If there are really hard knots or my fingers are sore/injured, I have a wide tooth comb to spot treat tangles.
Personally, when I shower in the evening, my hair is always a mess the next day. I've never had luck keeping it from being a medusa mess the next day. If I want my natural curls for something that day, I shower during the day and let my hair air dry after plopping, or I partly diffuse to set in some curls to let the rest air dry.
Hey girl!
I have wavy/curly 2a/2b hair that’s gone 90% gray before 30, so I empathize with the nonstop frizz. I have a few suggestions, but take them with a grain of salt because even though it’s been years since starting CGM, I still haven’t found my perfect routine & product combo. But i’m getting there.
Unfortunately the best thing for your hair (ime) is to move to a dryer climate 😅😅😅 Humidity is my #1 enemy full stop.
Comments on routine:
- I found it pointless to oil just before showering it right back out. Oil should be the very last step out of the shower to seal all that goodness in.
- Reduce your usage of fingers in the shower aside from praying/squishing. Also replace any plastic combs/brushes with hard rubber or smooth stone combs. Plastic ones have hard ridges in between each tooth - These will rip up your hair as you run them down. Idk about brushes, I only use combs now, sparingly.
- This might be huge — are you using clarifying shampoo each time? This will strip the fuck out of your natural oils and you won’t have enough time to build up enough defense for it. I’d advise not doing this more than 1-2 times per month. Find a good low-ingredient shampoo to use in between! (3b.) Just in case: only use the shampoo on your roots/scalp, keep all the natural goodness in your mids & ends.
- Deep conditioning is good! I keep it to 1x/week though. For reference I wash my hair no more than twice a week, I prefer going 4 days in between, as that gives me enough time to develop natural oils.
- A suggestion: maybe find a lighter leave-in? The weight of all the products together after a wash can add up to a mess, although this depends on how your hair normally reacts to light vs heavy product. ~~(5b.) How many products post-shower, and in what specific order do you use them in?~~ (nvm that’s answered in 6, sry) This can make a difference! In my experience, Lightest to Heaviest thickness is best, followed by an oil. (5c.) Cotton is def the way to go, but a lot of the time I much prefer to air-dry start to finish - Sometimes if I take too much moisture away too quickly with a shirt, it makes me way frizzier after using one! 😵💫
- Continuing from 5b, I can’t say much about styling sprays (I just don’t prefer them ☺️) but I would suggest adding a detangler between your leave-in and spray maybe?
- My only suggestion here would be a dryer that can blow cold - the less heat the better to combat frizz. No comments on the rollers, but could the foam material possibly be causing issues?
- Yes! Good stuff 🤩
I’d also suggest looking for a shop/stylist nearby you that carries Olaplex stuff! The #6 is good for protecting from heat and keeps frizz down too. I use that as the first step, and the #9 as the last step. I think the #9 is amazing and a must-get to combat frizz! Just my 2c (edit: Whoops!! switch these around, i went to take a shower and realized i got them backwards lol)
Of course with all these things, YMMV!!! These are just things i’ve learned that worked for me, but could be not the right fit for you!
I forgot to mention previously that something we use are shower filters. I have no idea how they might affect your hair but hard water dries my skin out. I can't imagine it being great for hair. I'm just guessing on this though.
I don't see the problem. This is absolutely beautiful hair. I really love the curls too. But if you are not happy with it, have you tried washing it much less often? Unless she is styling in a way that requires "product", or it got very dirty with something, my wife might only wash it once per week.
Don’t listen to this person. You do have beautiful hair, but in its current condition, it is a mess. Your gut is correct. I don’t have a silver bullet, but try washing it less, try using hair oil as someone else suggested. Have you tried any leave in conditioner?
I don't think it looks as bad as you think. But the Jessicurl for me doesn't provide enough weight. Can you get Ouidad Climate Control Extreme gel? I see it on MeGorgeous BV, you want the one with the red label. It is medium hold, great in humidity. I live in a steam bath of a climate and that stuff has been my gel for as long as she has been making it.
As far as process: clarify first with something with vitamin C. Just in case. Rinse very thoroughly, splitting the hair horizontally, starting with the nape hair and moving up. Conditioner in sections, rake it in starting with the nape hair and moving up. Then rinse briefly using the same process - you are trying to rinse the scalp, push more water into the hair, and leave some conditioner in the length. It should feel slimy and smooth. Rake a curl cream throughout the hair and use your cloth to scrunch. It should look now how you want it to look when dry. Arrange it gently, using a pointy chopstick or the end of a rat tooth comb. Gently press some gel throughout the hair using a motion like clapping, GENTLY scrunch, then wipe a little more over the outside surface. Hover diffuse without touching it for a little while, then you should be good to diffuse it more vigorously, then air dry if you need (I never have time to get it all the way dry with diffuser.
Ditch the oil, my hair looks a lot like yours and oil makes it frizzy. I don't worry about silicones but oil is no good for me.
ETA: don't detangle before the shower. Detangle, gently from the ends up, when your hair is wet and slippery. I can do this at the shampoo step since I have not brushed in years, if you can't you can do conditioner & detangle, then wash, then condition.
Ask me anything, we are hair and climate twins.
I live in a temperate rainforest with 3a/3b curls and use Redken Acidic Bonding Conditioner. There's a leave-in treatment too which I use occasionally, but the conditioner helps a lot by itself. I wash my hair with any regular shampoo, put the conditioner in and wrap my hair in a plastic shower cap for 2 hours before rinsing it out. Once a week is enough for me, but you may need to do more treatments to start off.
You could also try Olaplex No 3 if you think you have serious damage. It helps repair the bonds in hair and make the cuticle smoother.
I'm not sure if these products are available in your area, just trying to suggest what finally worked for me. The frizz struggle is annoying and I hope something someone recommends here helps!
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