Do you work with your natural hair texture? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do you work with your natural hair texture?

Gigi

Veteran

I have slightly wavy, very fine hair. I've been growing it out to shoulder length, but it's not as voluminous as I would like, due to the weak wave and fine texture. I'm a longtime member of Naturally Curly's Curl Talk, so I know all the tips and tricks about working with my natural hair texture. I can get good hair on the first day, but it looks very limp on days 2+. When I use heat tools, I have much better curl retention.

I'm wondering how many fabbers work with their natural hair texture. Do a lot of your straighten your hair with a blowdryer and round brush, and then go back in with a flat iron or curling iron? And then just touch your hair up with heat tools on days 2+? Or do you just let your hair do its thing, even if it doesn't look as good as you'd like? I have a pretty polished wardrobe style, and I'd like my hair to look polished as well.

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41 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

Greyscale

Veteran

I just do my thing. On good days it's great but a lot of the time it's pulled up in a bun to hide it. It wasn't until my 30s that I figured out how to work with my hair and got a good haircut though.

I was a hopeless nerd growing up in a fairly hippie household and I literally didn't know people straightened their hair until after college (when I read some criticism of Chelsea Clinton's curls). So maybe I'd have developed different habits in a more style-focused setting.

For now I've developed a method that works well for my curls, and I just need to be more consistent about it. Wash my hair at night, let it air dry in a high ponytail as I sleep. Then the curls are good for two days. I just need to get in the habit of doing it every 2-3 days, not 4-5.

There's a nice mousse I found at Whole Foods that works quite well on the rare days that I blow-dry my hair. I think it's Giovanni brand. I haven't quite worked out how to avoid frizz entirely though.

deb

Veteran

I have very fine hair with a slight wave, also, but I have a lot of it. I do not use any heat nor product and just let it do its own thing. I have never colored my hair either and my understanding is that processing adds texture but I have always been hesitant. During the summer I wash every day and during the winter go 2 days between washings. When I started letting mine grow out I had layers cut but that made it just cling to my head. Once it was long enough, I had a blunt cut don and it makes my hair much fuller.

rachylou

Veteran

My hair has really changed. Gotten wavy and super thin. While I still have hair, I'm abusing it by bleaching and colouring... so I'm super paranoid about heat tools on top of that. I'll use product and twist in curls. It has to be said I'm a downtown girl and my look is RATE, not polished. If I want to look neat(er), I put my hair up.

Style Fan

Veteran

I work with my natural hair texture. I only blow dry my bangs. If I am going to a special occasion event then I will blow dry the rest of my hair. I might use a flat iron depending on how my hair looks after blow drying.
I wash my hair every 3 to 4 days. I use a small amount of mousse in it after washing. I do not colour my hair and never have.
I find having long layers cut into my hair and letting it air dry works best. I have fine to medium texture hair but a reasonable amount of it. Some days it has a wave.

Astrid

Veteran

I also let my hair do its thing. I'm much too lazy for anything else. When I had long hair I was washing less often and letting it airdry to get as much curl out of it as I could. With the Pixie my hair needs water every morning to look right. I don't mind much because I really like the look all in all so I make the effort. I still let it airdry most days, besides in winter when I'm in a hurry. I don't color my hair either. It definitely doesn't look polished, but that's not really a goal of mine.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Hi all I have a short grey pixie. I just wash and comb. On a very rare special occasion I use a light mousse called Smooth and Groom which you don't have to wash out the next day. I tried a firmer holding mousse but don't like the feel of it. You always have to wash it out the next day and I don't need to wash daily, can go quite a few days. It looks better Day 2-3. A bit more natural oil maybe? I don't curl or straighten, just go with the slight natural wave.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I am finally learning to work with my natural texture. It helps that my hairstylist has similar fine hair and understands how to cut it well. I still style it, but just for a little more volume. I like the slight wave that has developed as it has gitten longer. I wash every other day. I use a sea salt spray and a mousse for volume unless I am working. I wear a felt hat at work and have found that any product in my hair results in a tangled mess, so on those days I just blow dry clean.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

In a manner of speaking I do. I suppose it is why I keep it short! Longer, my hair is so thick that left on its own it would grow out more than down, and while it will wave if layered, it tends still to look "puffy" in humidity.

I do have my short hair thinned considerably each cut. I also use product. When my bangs were longer I would straighten then in humid weather. I don't do this now as it is not necessary.

Tisa

Gigi, you're not the only one with this problem. I'm struggling with my hair too and they seem to be a lot like yours.
When I was in high school, my hair started to curl and I had a full head of natural curls. A few years later my hair started to straighten out again and now it has a really weird texture. Neither straight nor curly or wavy. If I let imy hair be, it looks like I got up and forgot to use a comb.
I haven't figured out yet how to make my current natural texture work. It just doesn't look polished to my eye, so I have to use heat tools.
I would be happy with either straight hair, nice waves or my previous curls, but this in-between texture I have now is neither here nor there and it isn't working for me.

Chewyspaghetti: which sea salt spray and volume mousse are you using?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm somewhere in between. My hair is changing. It is naturally quite wavy/curly and frizzes easily in the humidity. I can blow dry my hair straight on a summer day and it grows into yeti hair the moment I walk out of the house. But in drier conditions, it can look much more sleek. My hairstylist can make it ultra straight but I can never quite get it that way.

Most days I end up blow drying the crown and bangs enough that it shapes the top of the style, dry the rest loosely part of the way, and I let it air dry the rest of the way, which results in a wavy look. It may not be the best look, since I would love to wear it sleek and straight all the time, but my hair is getting thinner (ironic since the rest of me is getting fatter), and I already subject it to coloring so I'm reluctant to add so much heat styling all the time.

Anonymous

I used to struggle with my hair. Now I have a cut that works with what my hair naturally wants to do, and it is a breeze to style. What's more, the style holds even after I've slept on it for days and haven't washed it. I only wash my hair twice a week now.

Meredith

Veteran

It's interesting to read how many people let their hair do its thing. I cannot just wash and go with my hair. It's pretty wavy, but air drying with product doesn't produce a great look. Usually I blow dry it straight, allow it to sit for at least another 1/2 hour (to continue drying any spots I missed), then use a flat iron to smooth or add waves. I also need to wash my hair every day. If I skip a wash, the hair goes up in a bun.

In the summer I modify my cut to work with the curl and am more likely to air dry. It's not my preferred style, but I refuse to blow dry my hair when it's 100 degrees and humid.

cindysmith

Veteran

My hair is thick and heavy and takes soooo stinking long to dry--which I only do during winter and for special occasions. It is also mostly white, which tends to be dry and coarse. It requires a ton of product to hold any style except straight (which only requires a half gallon of product). So most days I just roll with it or stick it in a ponytail/"doodoo ball" (the term my SIL's students gave her messy bun). When my hair gets long, my mom says it looks like a stringy mop, and she's on to something LOL. Currently, it's down near my bra strap in the back and it's just blah blah blah

I'm pretty close to getting it cut. I'll be having them take a lot off the length and thin it out so it dries quicker. I'm hoping that they can duplicate the jagged, uneven texture of the inspiration haircut (attached) so that I don't have to use a ton of product.

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Ginger

Veteran

Cynthia, that would be a terrific cut for you, and perfect for your style!

I work with my texture, too. My hair is medium thick, on the coarse side, wavy and inclined to frizz; it does not have a naturally smooth texture EVER. It used to be very long (waist length+) and blowdrying took an eternity. I've never liked it straight, anyway. Its natural texture isn't anything to write home about but it does take and hold curl well, so I've experimented over the years with many different types of curling. Heat works well, but it also drops out very quickly in wind (and it's windier here than in Chicago) and humidity. And it's noticeably damaging when I did it extensively. Now I prefer to set damp curls and sleep on them. I've always washed at night so it's no hardship.

shedev

Veteran

I cowash once or twice a week, but condition every day. I use a shea butter leave in in addition to the rinse out. On rare occasions, I vblow dry with a diffuser attachment. Sleeping in a bonnet helps with curl retention.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Gigi, I absolutely have a cut that works with my hair texture. It's fine and quite wavy (although that is weather-dependent). My hair texture was made for short hair. Very, very easy to manage daily.

I do NOT wash and go. I shampoo and condition daily, use product, and flat iron a little in front. It's a very fast process though because I don't have much hair.

I always have a good hair day with a polished pixie - not just because it suits my hair texture and is a good cut - but because I style it daily. There is no sense in re-styling hair that is full of product from the day before in my world. AND I have it cut and coloured every 6 weeks.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yes indeed, I work with the texture I've got. It wants to be scruffy, I let it be scruffy, and we're all happy.

OK but seriously. I have an element of RATE to my style, so slightly wild hair works for me. My hair is quite thick and very wavy (bordering on curly, especially in humid weather), so a sleek bob or short pixie are both too much work. I've had every hair length and style imaginable, and what seems to look best on me and also be relatively low-maintenance is a chin-length-or-slighty-longer shag. No bangs. I wash it every two or three days. After a wash, I dry it partway, then twist individual locks in opposite directions and fluff it a little, then let it air-dry the rest of the way. I often use a flatiron sparingly around the front bits. I use a little hairspray sometimes, but otherwise no product, since I find it weighs my hair down and makes it feel either greasy or crunchy -- and also makes it necessary to wash every day.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Tisa- Not Your Mother's Beach Babe soft waves sea salt spray (which I love!) and Nexxus mousse + volumizing hold (which is ok)

Lisa

Veteran

I am not a fan of my hair, I never was. It's wavy and frizzy enough to not adhere to the pin straight look I like, so I have to blow dry then flat iron to get the look and even then it's puffy. Yet my hair doesn't have enough body to it to react well with products if I were to try to bring out the wavy. When I read articles to wash and go and let your hair air dry I laugh because when I do this I look like a frizz ball with cowlicks and an overall mess. And I've given up watching youtube videos on hair care because people always say how they just wash once a week or something, and I have tried but could never go beyond 1 day, I simply am too active and sweat too often to do more than that.

Dottie

I have recently embraced my natural curls after watching many videos on YouTube from TheMakeoverGuy. Life changing!! That led me down the rabbit hole to the book, The Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey. I checked it out of my local library before I made the investment. I have S-wavy hair and now use Devacurl No-Poo conditioning shampoo and hair gel. Life is so much easier, I enjoy my curls with no frizz, and only blowdry my hair occassionally with a diffuser. In between shampoos, I revive my curls with a mixture of the gel and water in a spray bottle. Frizz is just a curl waiting to happen.

Echo

Veteran

My hair is mostly straight, and about to my shoulders with fringe. I wash it daily, blow it dry and use a flat-iron in spots (sparingly). My whole morning routine (including shower, washing and drying hair, getting dressed and applying makeup only takes me about 35 minutes, so it isn't a big time investment. While I use heat tools a bit, I mostly work with my hair's natural texture; it's too difficult and time consuming to work against it.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I have started to, but only in the summer. I have mid length almost but not quit straight hair that wants to be flat on top and do other things as it goes down. So in summer, when it's not too cold, I pin it up for awhile to make a little wave and create some volume at the top. In the cold season I head straight for the blow dryer.

Anonymous

That's funny, I just joined Curl Talk and have posted a few things like, "omg, my hair is soooo bad!' and "my hair is so greasy! Help!' and other super-positive posts

I'm TRYING to embrace curls but it's hard because it goes from OK to HIDEOUS the next day.

And with the gel that you have to put in to get the curls to stay, I feel like my hair never feels clean. I tried cowashing without using gel and it didn't work as well. I might try using a tiny bit of oil next.

It seems like there's a LOT of trial and error trying to get a system that works for you. I think you just need to switch up one thing at a time and see how that goes.

One thing I'll say though: I can actually go about 5 days in between co-washes now (I used to shampoo ever other day). So something has happened there.

Below is a picture of curls that occur with a diffuser, cowash and gel. I think it looks alright but stringy. I wonder if a better cut would help. Anyway, this looks pretty bad the next day so what I've been doing is putting it in a half ponytail.

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Greyscale

Veteran

Those curls look great, Smittie! What gel do you use? I swear by Alaffia's Beautiful Curls gel for wavy/curly hair (a little bit goes a long way)

http://alaffia.com/wavy-to-curly-defining-gel/

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

For better or for worse I do!

Gigi

Veteran

It looks like most of us are in the same boat: we work with our natural texture as much as possible, even if that means our hair doesn't look 100% perfect for the day.

I'm with those who should probably be washing every other day, but it's enough work that I do it only every 4 days. So days 3 and 4 are usually updos or some sort, or I get out the flat iron. (I did the flat iron today, in fact!)

Smittie, you made me laugh so hard! I wonder if I responded to your posts on Curl Talk. I think the curls that you posted are beautiful! And I completely agree that it's trial and error.

Part of the reason I asked this question is because I have a haircut scheduled for next week and am considering cutting off some of my length. It's about to my collarbone, which isn't horribly long, but it does get very flat on top, and it's starting to take quite a bit of time to wash it and dry it. I like to use the diffuser to dry it rather than air dry, so it can be a time sucker. I might just chop off enough to bring the length to the top of my shoulders. That should still give me the ability to put it up in a ponytail.

Greyscale, I use that gel too, at least in the winter. In the spring and summer, with the higher dew points, that gel seems to make my hair look greasy.

Anonymous

Haha, I would go back to check Curl Talk except I've already forgotten my username!

Greyscale: The gel I use is Garnier fructus Structure or something like that. I bought it solely because of the ingredient list (it's supposed to not build up). But maybe there are better gels out there.

Gigi: for curly hair I love the idea of getting a dry cut by somebody who really knows curly hair.

Bonnie

Veteran

I have thick, coarse, wavy hair that frizzes on contact with humidity. I keep it fairly short, have it colored and cut every 6-7 weeks, and wash it every 4-5 days. I've found that my hair loves the flat iron. After I wash it I let it air dry overnight, and in the morning I use the flat iron and it's like magic. I only need touch ups on the front if I wear a hat, walk under misters, walk in the rain, or take a steamy bath.

Anonymous

My natural hair texture beat me into submission when I was in high school. I could not even decide on a part for myself. A series of cowlicks define a "natural" part that I eventually came to accept. My hair is straight and fine. I pull it back as often as possible. I have to wash it every single day not because it is dirty, but because washing gives it body.

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