I'm going natural!

I'm another who hated her curls. For most of my childhood, although I never had any luck with banishing them - can't blow it out; can't burn it out with lye. I even tried glue as a kid! As soon as a little humidity gets to my hair, the curls yank themselves back into place. Now I'm at peace, co-washing only, and wondering why dimethicone is okay - I'll have to read those recommended books, I think!

April Minutes: 1,282

0 450 900 1350

1800

Hi- here's the thread you are looking for- sorry!
www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_mes
sa
geboard_thread.asp?board=0x7634x5730474

current weight: 142.0

158 152.25 146.5 140.75

135

What EXACTLY is "going natural"? I was looking for a thread involving the not washing of hair...Sorry to just jump on in, but I need advice for my hair!! :)

I totally agree on the time and effort that it takes to straighten hair- and mine at least never lasts very long- the curls are starting to come back within just a few hours! Isn't it funny that we fight our curls for years and years and when we finally decide to just go along with them we like our hair more- if we would only learn that years earlier!

current weight: 142.0

158 152.25 146.5 140.75

135

I joined not too long ago and am also starting to go natural. It's been roughly a month and a half and it's such a difference! My hair got curlier towards the end of high school, but I never knew how to control it. I read "Curly Girl" and decided to give it a try.

I'll admit, I've straightened my hair a few times in that month and a half. It made me realize how long and how much effort it takes to straighten my hair versus using a sulfate-free shampoo and scrunching in some gel. Plus, now I realize how much better my hair looks!

Welcome to the team!
I don't generally use a lot of product in my hair- but then again, I don't wash it anymore either- just use a conditioner and comb it out in the shower. Seems to keep my hair and curls in better shape than when I was washing it every other day or so.
Good luck!

current weight: 142.0

158 152.25 146.5 140.75

135

Thanks for the tips and no I haven't heard of those books I'll have to look for them.

Hi and welcome! I hope that you end up loving your hair. A lot of products contain silicones which can really build up and weigh your hair down. You are going to want to find a good conditioner to use, but try to avoid silicones (anything on the label that ends in 'one' - except dimethicone, which is OK).

Have you read the book 'Curly Girl' by Lorraine Massey? It is really excellent and has great information about products to use and ones to avoid.
She also includes some recipes for hair treatments you can make at home.

And this book :
Curl Talk: Everything You Need to Know to Love and Care for Your Curly, Kinky, Wavy, or Frizzy Hair
by Ouidad - also has great advice and good product information.

Edited by: CURLY916 at: 10/29/2010 (12:52)

current weight: 195.0

204 195.5 187 178.5

170

I have type 2a hair.
I just decided to let my hair do it's thing. I bought a detangling comb and used it in the shower for the first time last night. I don't really have much in way of products yet bc I need to learn what is best. Today is my first official day of letting it go "natural". I normally brush it and have the perfect waves, very rarely would I do anything else. It feels weird not brushing it. Almost as weird as when I let it dread up. But I'm not doing that. I'm fighting the temptation to continuously finger comb it.
This might take a while.
So I really could use some tips bc I have almost no idea about how I can encourage my curls. I would like to also encourage my littlest with her hair. She has the same hair type and I would like her to learn how to take care of it so she knows what to do if she wants to go natural when she's older. I asked her if she wanted to try. She said yeah and ran into the bathroom to use my detangling comb.
My moms hair is as straight as can be and my father's is a 3 and he never bothered with his curls he'd just keep it short and brush it. What a waste of perfect curls. (Yes, I admit it, I have always suffered from curl envy.) So I was never taught how to take care of my curls.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and learning all I can to be a curly girly.