So I’ve spent the last few decades with very short hair. It’s naturally quite wavy, and now I’ve started growing it out, it’s sticking out in all directions and looks a total mess, particularly around the ears. What do?

I know what shampoo and conditioner are, and I think I have a comb somewhere. Can anybody point to some good absolute-beginner tutorials, or give advice? I’m sure someone’s been through the same thing…

    • Elise@beehaw.org
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      2 months ago

      I like your hair but it looks bad at the bottom. Honestly I’d just say visit a good hair dresser for the cut and always ask for advice, you never know who you’re talking to.

      I’m only an expert of my own hair and ours is quite different. That being said you could definitely have a go at it. You’ll want to look into the curly girl method, specially the kind of shampoo.

      My two cents are that moisture and oil are essential to control. Oil will keep the moisture in your hair, so it won’t start frizzing over time as quickly. Moisture you can control by showering and or using a fine water spray.

      For starters get a spray and just play with that. Spray and let it sit, knead etc, etc. Just see what kind of control you can get out of that.

      You’ll also want to shape it after coming out of the shower, as it tends to keep the shape it dries in. If you comb it back and let it dry that way, it’ll be impossible to really get it to curl nicely in all directions later. If your hair would be long I’d definitely suggest a hair dryer (low settings only), I’m not sure if that would help you. It just gives you that extra control over drying.

      Back to shampoo and conditioner. Not all are the same. A 2 euro bottle is simply not going to live up to a 20 euro bottle. I’d recommend buying a full set where the bottles fit together, and just read their labels and see what fits best to you. It’ll last like a year so it is worth the money. Try out different kinds over the years, as there’s a huge difference in effect.

      Don’t be afraid to experiment and keep learning. I used to have 1 good hair day every 3 or so. And now I have only a few bad hair days per year. There’s hope!

      • OldEggNewTricksOP
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        2 months ago

        Thank you! I guess I can’t avoid the hairdresser for ever - I’ve been dreading the “yes, I actually do want it to look girly” conversation.

        Looks like the CG method and moving off my current “don’t care” brand shampoo is a good place to start. Here’s to some experimentation :3

        • recursive_recursion [they/them]@programming.dev
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          2 months ago

          tbh I don’t think you should worry too much!

          most if not all hairdressers I’ve met (in the conservative area I live in) are understanding and kind, so I personally think you’ll be fine🤗

          Power to you!🌻

        • Elise@beehaw.org
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          2 months ago

          Nice! You’ll definitely see improvement. Don’t be afraid to invest some money in products that are nice for your body. Sure, some people overdo it, but it’s totally healthy to love yourself!

          When it comes to the social aspect of going to the hair dresser, well, that’s something you could approach as a entirely seperate topic.

    • yuri@pawb.social
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      2 months ago

      The lil wavies that are already visible are SUPER promising. You’ve got a beautiful natural curl! As it gets longer it’ll start to drape more regularly under it’s own weight, and it’ll be easier to style once there’s more of it to work with.

      The washing/conditioning methods in the CG doc will help bring out/emphasize your natural curl pattern. I went from kinda wavy hair to actual ringlets, and your hair looks wavier than mine was when I started!

      And the great part about CG is you can tweak your results, there’s no one singular “ideal” end goal! It’s like a community of curl-scientists constantly running experiments and sharing their findings.

      e: i think my instance is fucking up, sorry for the spam!

      • OldEggNewTricksOP
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        2 months ago

        Woo, that’s encouraging :) I really like the photo in the CG doc; hopefully I can get something similar.

        The hairdresser tidied it up for me (I think they got the idea that I really do want to grow it all out), but it’s looking pretty masculine still. I guess I’ll wait a few months and bring a picture next time!