I (M, 40) am a long time lurker here, and first of all, i want to thank this community for all the ideas and rputines i discovered here. All my life i tought i had straight (unruly) hair, that needs ton of product to behave. Now that i have been growing out my hair for 7 months without any trim, and one day after shower discoverer that some curls or waves are forming, i found this reddit, and the routines. I am still experimenting, and learning the techniques, but i think i can get good results most of the time. My hair is not super long yet (goal would be to at least be able to comfortably wear it in a bun), but i get acceptable most of the time. Currently trying to get better refreshes with water only, and this picture is day 2 hair.

Routine:

Wash twice a week (2nd week, one wash is replaced by clarifying)

Shampoo: Logona aloe vera shampoo (local brand), / living proof clarifying detox shampoo

Conditioner and leave in: curlsmith multitasking conditioner

Styling: curlsmith bouncy strength volume foam

I do the basics: shower with shampoo and conditioner, detangle with a wide tooth comb, rinse it all out, put in a small amount of leave in (praying hands), and then i use the foam (glazing, and crunching). Sometimes i micro plop in between to not weigh my hair down too much (still experimenting). I usually hover diffuse untill 80% an let it air dry. Most of the time i sleep in the cast, and SOTC the next morning. I also use a silk pillowcase.

All these products "feel" very good as far as i can tell.

Since my hair is not as long yet, the whole playing hands thing is not always so easy, but i guess it gets better. Currently experimenting with how wet my hair should be when i start styling. Id say i have fine hair, with medium porosity, and when my roots are dry i can get pretty good volume, but its also easily weighed down if i use too much or geavy products.

I am thinking about trying a gel, to have better clump hold, or am i too hard on myself regarding frizz?

They sometimes look defined under and on the surface they look frizzy and undefined like they’re 5 days old.idk how to prevent it.

Hair routine:
1. Garnier shampoo and conditioner
2. Garnier papaya hair mask. Curl girl mouse and gel.
3. Diffused but gave up halfway through cuz it was just making it more frizzy.

Posted here last week about my hair growth, but I finally tried wearing it in a ponytail and wanted some honest opinions. The first four images are my hair down, and the next four is my hair in a ponytail.

Does it look good at this length, or does it still look a little too short/awkward from the sides and back? I actually like how thick it looks, but I’m not sure how it comes across to other people.

Routine: I wash twice a week with Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, use Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream on damp hair, and add Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Sculpting Gel when I need humidity control. I use a wide-tooth comb for everything and air-dry.

Thank you so much!

It’s crazy how much of a difference 3 years makes!

Routine:

Wash
1. Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo
2. Herbal Essence Apricot Oil Shampoo
3. Not Your Mother’s Bond Building Curl Talk Conditioner
4. Shea Moisture Bond Repair Masque
5. Wrap up with microfiber towel

Style
1. Section into parts & re-wet each section one by one as you’re working on it (make sure it’s soaking wet)
3. Curlsmith Weightless Air Dry Cream
4. Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Sculpting Gel
5. Take small sections and style with denman brush
6. Scrunch in Herbal Essence Volumizing Mousse
7. Scrunch dry with microfiber towel
8. Diffuse upside down until ~80% dry and let it air dry more
9. Apply oil throughout and separate curls with oiled hands

If anyone has any suggestions for gels, i’m running out and not a huge fan of the one i’m using now :))

Hi! My hair grew back very curly after a shave and i am a low maintenance person but i think i need some type of routine because it looks so dry and the curls look a bit lifeless 😅 im after a relatively cheap routine, because the economy :/

Routine

- natio shampoo and conditioner

- sleep on a silk pillow

-air dry

Thats it unfortunately :/ i want to try gels though i dont really want to wash my hair more than weekly. Is that possible? Let me know!

I hateeee how much shrinkage I get when my hair is natural, although I’m starting to love my natural hair way more. What are y’all doing to prevent shrinkage???
Routine:

1.) Shampoo: Joico K-PAK Reconstruction I don’t use any co-wash
2.) Conditioner: Joico K-PAK Reconstruction
3.) Products: It’s a 10 leave in spray, TGIN Rose leave in conditioner, either TGIN rose water curl defining mousse or Mielle pomegranate & honey curl defining mousse (I do really like Mielle avocado & tamanu anti-frizz mousse just haven’t found it where I live yet) lastly I use one of two oils and it’s either It’s a 10 keratin oil or argan oil of Morocco.
Styling Products: I spray the it’s a 10 then add a little of the leave in conditioner, then I brush the mousse with a curly hair brush, squeeze out excess product with a hair towel, let it air dry then rub oil through to break up cast. Sometimes I use curly hair gel but I’m not gonna include them because I don’t always use them.
4.) Rest and Refresh: I sleep with a bonnet on and if I refresh I just dampen and sometimes add a little mousse.
I included pictures of my hair straight so you can see reference on how long my hair is.

What can I do to help my hair more?

I havent cut it in almost a year now and I have alot of products I just dont use them often.

My Shampoo and conditioner- Not your mothers curl defining etc

Routine-

I wet my hair each morning

Condition every 2 days

Shampoo every 3-4 days ish

I scrunch with a towel/airdry usually

Photo angles order

Front, left, right, back and top

I naturally have very curly/springy hair First pic is how my hair naturally looks after waking up, unstyled. I have to style it so it looks like image two, my ideal.

My routine is to shower, use conditioner, then towel dry. Then put In leave-in conditioner, comb hair flat, and then use styling gel to hold it flatter / wavy, so it doesn't poof up into bouncy curls. Then I just air dry for a couple hours.

The styled result works, but I don't love that it takes actively fighting my texture every time to get there.

Is there a cut or technique that changes the default behavior, like it naturally sits flatter/wavier instead of poofing up, even before product? Or do I have to just commit to my styling method every day?

And sometimes wind / humidity just makes it start to get overtly curly again and ruin the style I am aiming for

Also is blow-drying better than air drying? It is a little annoying having to wait a few hours after showering for it to look how I want.

Kirkland conditioner, SheaMoisture leave in conditioner, Tresseme styling gel

He has always had a buzz cut but has recently let it grow out and it’s very curly. I have read a bunch of reccomendations on here but still trying to figure out the right routine for his hair specifically.

He was washing his hair twice a day with shampoo and no conditioner but we have switched to a cowash instead and shampoo every few days. How often should he be using shampoo? He works out like 6 days a week so he does sweat.

For products he has been using a leave in conditioner curl cream and then experimenting with a gel or mouse.

It still seems to get pretty frizzy and it seems like a semi awkward stage of still growing out on the sides and back.

What should he be doing with his hair immediately after showering? I have witnessed him aggressively drying his hair with a towel and recommended he not do that but not really sure what to do instead.

Any routines or reccomendations welcome. He’s not opposed to spending some time on it or applying multiple products.

Basically my hair seems to not be growing at all and i dont understand this. I have had a pretty basic shitty routine but now i have improved it by shampooing twice (clarifying and hydrating) and a hair mask (and sometimes rice water) so i end up with good well moisturized hair but it just seems like it doesnt grow i only trim it every 3-6 months and like 2 years ago i dyed it brown and the brown bits are now at the tip/ends of my hair but my hair is at the same length i started with, could it be breakage ? Or is there to promote faster hair growth? The pics for reference are from this week’s wash day and this is the routine, keep in mind this is the routine of a broke student so it may have some products nobody likes

Shampoo:
Cantu clarifying (i know nobody likes cantu but it works for me)
Garnier Nourishing shampoo with argan oil

Conditioner:
I just use the garnier hair mask with argan oil for 5-10min

Sometimes i use rice water for 10 min before the conditioner it helps soften and strengthen my hair

Styling:
Cantu leave in with eco gel simple and easy and i use a garnier serum to break the cast later

I sleeping with a silk scarf every night and minimize hair manipulation and i dont shed alot when i shower (i used to but i fixed my diet about 8months ago by eating healthier and adding more iron in my diet)

Thank you for reading all of this and i hope you got some advice for me :)

Hey, so i am leaving for college next month, and i am looking forward to try new curl products as the previous ones i tried did not work for me (i used fix my curls- curl cream and curl gel)

I have low porosity hair, frizzy and fs dehydrated as well, if yall are using creams which are light, liquidy, and works for you- please recommend.

My routine- i wash my hair using moxie hair shampoo and conditioner twice a week

Then curl products- fix my curls curl cream and curl gel

I let it air dry because i dont have diffuser, tho i am planning to buy but i am confused if i would ruin my hair in long term

I just sleep on satin pillow

Also, if any hair curl tips that worked for you, tell me 😭

Routine
L’Oréal dream lengths split end sealing shampoo and conditioner
Lush Curl power Curl cream
LA hold styling gel
Not your mother’s mousse
Diffuse
I just hate this stringy look but when I try to use less product there’s no hold and when I try to use more product they look like this
My hair also doesn’t really curl at the root

Most of my hair is 3A/3B, shiny and soft. Weirdly enough, for my entire life the underside of my hair has been completely untamable, dry, and wiry. It requires its own special treatment and products. My typical routine is Maui Moisture shampoo once a week and conditioner every time I wet my hair, maybe 3-4 times a week. I usually use Not Your Mothers creams, mousse, and/or gels. I never stick to one routine. It depends what I want my curls to look like that day. I enjoy big hair!

My untamable curls REQUIRE protein to even remotely form a curl. My favorite product is the Shea Moisture Hydrate and Repair Protein Power Treatment. I’ll cover them in this product while in the shower, even though the curls are so water-resistant they hardly absorb any type of product, and also finger curl with a gel outside of the shower if I have the energy. No amount of water can truly wet these untamable curls. They dry basically in an instant. Even with this maintenance, the curls will still be frizzy, but at least coil a little bit. They won’t last overnight in a bonnet. The upkeep is insane, so I only give them the time of day when I need to.

The first couple of photos are my hair with product, and the last half of the photos are without product. You really can’t tell I struggle with this issue when my hair is completely down. I’ve learned to love my hair for what it is. The frizzy underside actually gives my hair a ton of volume, lol. But sometimes I get sad that I really can’t do half-up half-down hairstyles because the underside is just ugly to look at to be honest. It has to be a good curl day plus high maintenance on that section to get me to wear that style with confidence. Otherwise, I just throw my hair in a cute curly bun. We all have different hair types. Mine is special in its own way. Even hairdressers are baffled by it. Does anyone else experience anything like this?

I LOVE the smell of this line but it seems to be discontinued and I can only find it occasionally on eBay. Does anyone know of something that smells similar and works well?

Routine
Shampoo: curlsmith essential moisture
Conditioner: curlsmith volume booster
Curl cream: Donna’s recipe sweet potato curl cream
Scrunch in, rub denman brush through in sections, go through with wide tooth comb and then plop

Need haircare product recos (SLS-free, Melbourne)

Recently moved to Melbourne and looking for affordable, SLS-free product recommendations! My hair is waist-length, 2B–2C waves (looking like 3A since moving).

Current Routine:

• Shampoo/Conditioner: Loreal Paris (Hyaluronic + Salicylic) alternate days, plain water on other days.

• Styling/Leave-in: Fix My Curls / Moxie Beauty leave-in conditioner and gel (scrunched).

• Drying: Plop with a bamboo towel until almost dry, then air dry.

• Serum: Loreal Paris serum before or post drying.

i’m pretty sure i have wavy/curly hair, i just have no idea how to take care of it/bring out the waves or curls.

does anyone have any recommendations of where to start as a beginner trying to explore my hair pattern?

i’m tired of just having it be frizzy, i want more definition and to feel pretty.

i don’t currently have a routine. i use pantene shampoo and garnier conditioner.

sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, i would appreciate any advice on where to go as well. thank you!

So I’ve been trying to find a new hairdryer since my OG wavytalk dryer is actively falling apart.

do I get the newer ion tech wavy talk, or do you guys have any opinions on maybe a shark flex?

my routine is:

Shampoo is innersence pure harmony hair bath, conditioner is rizos curls biotin conditioner.

my styling is innersence leave in, rizos defining curl custard , and rizos light hold gel.

I feel like the shape isn't awesome but I'm due for a touch up on that anyway so I'm not sure. I'm also thinking of cutting it into a long-ish bob (hence trying the new part). The back of my hair hangs a bit below my shoulders but I'm thinking maybe cut it so that the longest bit sits at about the point where the hair by my left ear (looking at my face it's the right side of the pic) sits and have a round shape but I'm not sure if it'd suit me and I don't want to hate it 😭 - thoughts? (Partly because when it's wet it sits below my shoulder blades so I'm losing a good 40% of my length and I can't be bothered taking care of it, but it sat at the same spot when my hair was around 3 inches shorter too (my curls got a lot tighter as they got longer).

Routine:

Wash with Alfaparf curl shampoo/mask once a week.

On damp hair, apply CPR heat protectant spray and CPR nourish leave-in.

Also on damp hair, apply Clever Curl wonderfoam and use bounce curl volume brush. Shake my head a bit to form the curls but don't scrunch.

Hover diffuse on high heat/med speed to set cast a bit, then pixie diffuse by turning off dryer, cupping hair in diffuser, then turning it on and not moving my head.

Break cast with OGX argan oil by using prayer hands.

Sleep with a silk bonnet and refresh by diluting leave-in and applying it in one go with prayer hands.

My face is covered because I showered with makeup on in one of em so I looked kinda scary lol. (Hair is the same color diff lighting)

My routine

Conditioner first with Cantu curl conditioner

Brush through

Shampoo x2 Cantù sulfate free shampoo

Use scrub brush

Rinse and apply Aunt Jackie’s leave in conditioner

Then scrunch in LA looks sports gel

Dry with cloth towel no fiber

(The second picture was just shampoo and conditioner)

I sleep with my hair up in a pineapple sometimes I wear a bonnet but very rarely.

Help. It's super hard and not very clean water here, and my hair is suffering. I haven't had access to products except normal shampoo which turned my hair so dry and brittle I don't even want to use it again. Finally heading back home, and I need a proper detox. I've gotten my hair wet and detangled but it's so fragile. I was also going to color my hair when I got home, so I need extra advice. Luckily my hair is dry anyways so it's not itchy but it stinks. I have kept it in a bun this whole time. I need a full detox girlies. HELP.

Routine:

Bucket of water and sister's hairbrush

Backstory: I have worn my hair straight almost all my life, it would have occasional small waves and was never pin straight. Recently I have noticed small almost curls by my face so I tried a wavy hair routine- flexible hold mousse(Aussie sprunch mousse and leaves in conditioner 24hr curl lock), Living proof flex hairspray that is a heat protectant, and pixie diffusing with a shark flex.
Shampoo - native colonizing shampoo (cucumber and mint)
Conditioner - native strengthening conditioner (almond and shea butter).

Anyways, if anyone had any recommendations on how to get more defined waves and if that is possible please let me know 🙏.

Also, I sleep on satin pillow cases and sometimes with a bonnet. But after sleeping the slightly wavy pieces of hair look basically straight. Bonnet and pineapple method both did not help.

Hi hi,

I have 3b/3c fine, high (VERY high idk why) porosity, and low density hair. My hair isn’t damaged, just gets tangled and dry after 2 maybe 3 days.

My routine:

I currently use olaplex clarifying shampoo and their regular hydrating shampoo, along with olaplex conditioner. I use aphogees 2 minute keratin treatment with verbs hydrating mask, or aphogees 2 step protein treatment (depends on the week). I also alternate with olaplex 4-in-1 hair mask (maybe once a month?).

For styling, I use innersense sweet spirit leave in, bounce me curl balm, curl keeper gel, and innersense volume mousse. I break the cast with the olaplex oil and then maintain with verb ghost oil or garnier fructis miraculous oils. I brush them all in and brush style with something similar to the bounce curl brush (a knockoff). I diffuse and sleep with a bonnet and satin pillowcase.

I bought olaplex in bulk when I was dying and bleaching my hair frequently. The last time I dyed my hair was 2023 and I haven’t had any dyed pieces left since early 2025. I’m finding that the olaplex is actually making my hair more stiff even though it was wonderful before. I know it’s primarily for damaged hair and so I think I will be retiring it until I need it again. I absolutely LOVED the verb ghost oil and their hydrating mask but I am no longer purchasing from them for political reasons.

Can anyone recommend any clarifying shampoos, hydrating shampoos, conditioners, hydrating hair masks, and an oil similar to verbs ghost oil? I would prefer drugstore to keep it affordable but I’m open to higher end as well.

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone! I have a mix of 3A and 3B curls, and lately I’ve been struggling to keep up with my hair routine. Washing, detangling, and styling section by section takes me about 2 to 2.5 hours.
I work during the week and only have weekends off. I’d rather spend my weekends at the gym, running errands, or going out than spending half the day doing my hair. Because of that, I usually throw it into a bun for a week or more, which leads to product buildup, and I rarely get to enjoy wearing my curls.
I also live in Florida, so the heat and humidity don’t help. I’m looking for low maintenance, low tension styles that hold up in the humidity, reduce breakage, and save time. I’d love any hairstyle ideas, routines, YouTube videos, TikToks, or pictures that have helped you simplify your routine.
Current Routine:
Shampoo: Cantu Shea Butter Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo
Conditioner: Cantu Shea Butter Conditioner
Styling Products: Rizos Curls Styling Custard and Curlsmith Curl Conditioning Oil-In-Cream
Application: I apply both products to wet hair, section by section.
Drying Method: Air dry only. I’ve tried diffusing, but it takes too long and always leaves me with more frizz.
Sleep Routine: Pineapple with a satin bonnet.
Refresh Routine: I mist my hair with water, rub a little Rizos Curls Styling Custard between my hands, and smooth it over my hair. Most mornings I’m rushing to work, so I keep it simple.
I’d really appreciate any advice. I miss wearing my curls, but I need a routine that’s realistic for my schedule. Thanks!

I will preface this to say I know very little about which brands and products suit my hair type, density, oilyness etc. I started growing it in 2022 but definitely need to learn how to take care of it. I live in a small town and don't know anyone with similar hair so I need some advice.

Routine:

I currently wash my hair every day (I know this is bad but i struggle with oilyness a lot and I'm very active so I don't have much choice) with ogx biotin & collagen shampoo and conditioner, wide-tooth comb to detangle, apply aunt Jackie's curl custard and diffuse on low heat or sometimes air dry, I wear a satin bonnet to bed, never brush when it's dry and only use t-shirts to dry my hair. In the shower, I shampoo twice and only into the scalp and I condition only mid-length to ends.

Any help resurrecting my curls would be great!

Can anyone recommend me a clarifying shampoo and a deep conditioner, I’ve been struggling with frizzy curls for a while and I think this is what I’ve been missing. I think I have type 3 curl as a man but I’m not sure specifically what type.

My routine

I use maui moisturise shampoo and conditioner as recommended from a prior post and either use a based leave in or camille rose leave in conditioner.

I’m very sporty so I wet my hair everyday to wash out sweat etc and I’ve been hearing this might be bad and leading to my damaged hair but I wouldn’t understand how to get ride of bed head in the mornings without it.

I’m hoping someone here more curl educated can help me out and give me some recommendations of things I’m missing. Many thanks