Ok Curly heads lets get posting.

Hi Frizzbe,

It�s my first time logging out this site: its superb !!
I am brazilian, my mother is citizen from negroes and indians and my father is spanish, so you can imagine the kind of hair I have.
I am used to have my hair relaxed with the Avlon Products (have you heard about), it�s ok, but right now my hair is not so good as used to be. I always have my hair dried with
the dryer machine (I don�t know this word in English) and sometimes I used it natural, but it�s very dry and the ends are ugly. Do you have some tips to give me ??
It would be very kindo of yours if yours. Sorry about my poor english. If you need some information about the Avlon cosmetics and the guarnidine I can send them to you. As I am concerned guarnidine is much better than sodium hydroxide.

sincerly,
Claudete
cardenette@hotmail.com

Curly, I am a diehard fan of Aveda products. They have a clear spray on for damage control and heat styling. It is great on wet or dry hair.

I kid you not and my stylist swears by it too, if you can't afford the expensive salon brands but want the most equivelent in ingrediants and performance, use Suave. I use Suave (performance series) moisturizing shamp/cond 2 in one and I use Suave (Performance Series) healthy shine conditioner. Rinsing with cool/warm water is recommended. Then after brushing my hair out, I use Abba's Nourishing leave in conditioner(Good for skin too). After towel dried, I use mousse and gel (any kind is usually okay, but my stylist only uses Vavoom Matrix styling gel instead of both) then I spray with hairspray (non-aerosol) and diffuse till dry. The best spray for my hair is Alterna Enzymetherapy (red tall bottle) used with Vavoom gel and the Abba Nourishing. Quick tip: when combing out your hair before towel drying or blow drying, the way you comb your part influences your hair's turn out for the day. So if you want the criss cross look, this is the best time to do it, half damp, then style as you normally do.

Ok, here is my story: I shampoo with Pantene Hydrating Curls, but only shampoo my roots and then let the suds run down my ends as I rinse. The I condition with Pantene Hydrating Curls, but only condition the shaft of the hair and the ends. I try to never get it near my scalp. While my hair is wet and full of conditioner, I comb it out with a wide tooth comb I keep in the shower. After I rinse, I gently run my hand down my hair (like in a ponytail) to get as much excess water out as possible.

I don`t wrap my hair in a towel anymore because I read that it can ruin your curls. As soon as I quit doing it, my curls looked much better. I lay the towel over my shoulder and let my hair air dry for about 30 min`s while I do other stuff.

Then I put in Lustrasilk Right On Extra Light Activator Moisturizer. I only put it in with my hands, I don`t use a comb at this time. I spray in Suave Extra Control Lavender Spray Gel lightly, not a great amount or it will weigh my hair down. If the weather is dry or my hair is extra tangly, I use Soft Sheen Care Free Curl Instant Activator Gold on the ends of my hair only. This stuff is kind of oily (it reminds me of VO5, but without the smell), but it works like magic.

Then I diffuse my hair, starting from the roots, lifting my hair gently, trying not to separate the curls too much. I only have to dry it for about 5-7 minutes and I am done. I have long (midback), thick hair, but the diffuser works really well.

If I still have any frizz I use the tiniest bit of the Soft Sheen on the frizzy parts. I put a drop in my hands about the size of a pencil eraser, rub it in my hands, then gently put it where needed. I usually rub the excess on the underneath of my hair, where it gets frizzy the most. I finish off with a good dose of Salon Selectives Hold Tight hairspray. It lets my hair move but holds the curl!

If you noticed, I use the word gently very often. The reason is that everything I have read (and from my own experience) the more you touch your hair when it is wet, the less curls you will have. I fully agree with using very little of the products I use; I just use alot of different products, but very sparsely!

Thanks for all of the other posts! I have some new products to try. BTW, all of my products can be purchased at Wal-Mart! I have tried expensive stuff, but always seem to go back to the cheap stuff. But I am having great luck with it all.

I tried Pantene hydrating curls for a while. I loved it at first, but then my hair began to dry out and I switched back to Aveda, this time to the Sap Moss Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Things got better very quickly after going back to Aveda. Every time I switch to a cheaper brand, I find my hair in a mess 2-3 months later. I also use a wide-toothed comb to comb conditioner through in the shower - this is a very gentle way to detangle. Does anyone know how to turn curly hair into large waves??

I love all of the Pantene Hydrating Curl products. They are slightly expensive, but they work great on my fine,naturally Curly Sue looking hair.
I wash with the shampoo, comb with the conditioner, air dry , then style with the settique spray.
I haven`t tried everything yet.
-Coll