What can I do to get more defined, consistent curls?

My hair only has "curl" or wave if I use products like Miss Jessie's. Otherwise it is a puffy, tangled mess! The MJ's products are almost the only natural hair care products I have used because I got them to work for me, but since winter it has been too cold for me to wet my hair like that. I really want smooth, defined curls. I started twisting it with the MJ's products. My problem is my hair shrinks a lot, even after twisting. Wet my hair is shoulder length but after it dries its at my chin. I am sooo impressed with your curls and the the texture of your roots. How can I get my hair to be that manageable? I saw your tutorial on smooth edges and laughed, mine are puffy and so are the rest of my roots. I get lots of compliments on my hair after I twist it out, but to me half of it is frizzy,(especially the back) not curly. A church member just recently told me about shea butter oil and I have used that a few times. What can I do to get more defined, consistent curls?

Hello Ladies,

Any advise for me on this one? I know I'm a newbie on the sight. I obviously need to start from scratch, its all very overwhelming. I think I'm using all the wrong stuff.

Can you post pics of your hair? Someone may be better able to help you if they can see what your hair looks like. I have a tighter curl pattern, so my curls are defined without product. My use of product is to maintain moisture and health of my hair.

Have you tried twisting on blow dried or air dried hair? You can still use your products, you just dont have the shrinkage.

I get MAJOR shrinkage too when I twist my hair wet and don't get me wrong I am only about 3 months into the totally natural game too, so this is what works for me:
After I wash my hair if I don't want to look like a TWA from the shrinkage ( [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]It's cool, but if I want length ...) then I twist my hair all over in kinda medium-small twists. After they dry --- which they shrink but not as much --- I take them down. After day 1 or so, I twist them again dry with some kind of product, but my fav is just sheabutter mixed with either jojoba oil or EVOO. If I need to I may lightly spritz it with my water mixture, but that's only in the frizzy areas or if I have a tangle or two.
I noticed that they get even longer because the excess water is what shrinks it.
I have also heard some people don't twist their hair until it's "half dry" (like NaturallyJustMe said with air dried hair) but if I did that, I would be half way shrinking up anyway and hard to manage because I have very dense, thick hair - so I am still trialing/erroring that one.
I say experiment and keep asking and stalking around! Show us some pics too and we can try to help or guide you.

take care,
Kbelle

Thanks for the replies. Oooop2 I will try and find a picture of myself. Most of the time I'm taking pictures of my kids and there are few of me! lol I always twist my hair wet, I definitely would not be able to do anything with it if it air dried.
Kbelle, Congratulations on your wedding and my hair seems like yours. If it gets wet, it shrinks when it dries, whether its loose,braided or twisted. But my hair loves water, it makes it very easy to work with. The only difference is my hair is actually fine, its not very thick at all, but I have a lot of hair. Because the roots are so puffy when it dries, it just looks thick but wet it, and it melts down. Mainly, I'm just trying to find a routine that gives me a style that will last 10 days or so without me washing or wetting my hair every four days. I know everyone will say twist, but I look like a 12 year old Ceilie with twist so I hide out at home while my hair is twisted. They are not a cute look for me. My hair is nice when I take them out, but only for 2 maybe 3 days and then the frizzes make it crazy and I have to wash my hair and start all over again......ugh! So I am trying to find a way to simplify my hair routine because life with a 5 & 6 year old is hectic enough! Am I right ladies?

When I read CurlyNikki's hair routine that she only needs to wash her hair every two weeks or so; I thought that is a dream of mine! Spending four hours washing, conditioning, detangling and twisting every 4/5 days is not working for me. So I'm still trying to figure out how to keep my "curls" defined and consistent? I'll keep trying.

Hi! Have you tried braiding your hair at night before you go to bed and then taking them back out? My twist outs were getting out of hand by day two do I started to braid them using grapeseed oil and Aussie moist conditioner. They are not small braids but medium sized braids. I do not want to mess up my twist patter so I gather some hair that has naturally separated, put a dollop of aussie and a big sqeeze of oil and braid it. Then I tie it down with a satin scarf. In the morning, I take out the braids and my twists look brand new! I was retwisting the twistouts but that was not working. This works for my hair. It is BSL stretched. A gumball sized amount of Aussie and a big squirt of oil. Dont comb or brush. Braid and twist the ends. Seal the ends with shea butter or some other dense butter. I have about 10 big braids or less. I hope that helps!

Thank you all for the congratulations! I'm still happy... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
@DreamMerchant,

I have heard of that technique and saw it on you tube (Dang ... I can't remember the name, just from my stalking, if I remember, I'll come back). I may try that.

@Curly chick --- yes, I think we are hair twins!!! My hair does the EXACT same thing and behaves the same way. I usually end up re-twisting my hair by getting is very slightly damp with my spray bottle mixture and twist with just shea butter softened up with EVOO, then I usually get another 3 days before I just wash it again.
It's been brutally cold, even here in Ark lately (I think every freakin' state got snow in the last two weeks) so re wetting or re washing and going out the door will give me "freeze" curls in every since of the word!
I've stalked NappyChronicles on you tube (remember, I'm a YT junkie!) and her technique of layering products before I twist is what I do. We should trade secrets from time to time!

Hey kbelle,
I'm going to check out NappyChronicles you tube videos. What shea butter do you use? I heard of Cantu but I looked at the ingredients and I think its all the bad stuff i've been reading about. I'm very frustrated with my hair again this week....ugh! Do you moisturize daily? Today I tried the Deva Curl set it free, it does moisturize but it also shrunk my hair

I have tried the tightly culy method (conditoner only) and i got my curls to define.. the only problem is.. My hair shrinks to the point that you cant tell my hair long. I like this method, i just wish my curls wheren't so tight..(lol im never satisfied..) Here is a photo.

I used Herbal Essence Hello Hydration. Hope this helps.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

MicaiahTY your hair looks fantastic!!! I like the color too. So how long does your hair last like this? Is the tightly curly method the one where you leave conditioner in and kind of coil and separate each strand of hair? My hair shrinks a lot too. Also, its not necessarily curly except in the back along my neckline. Otherwise it is just frizzy like a 'fro. It only gets "curls" if I twist it. lately I have tried Jane Carter's Twist n Lock. That is really good, much more hold for me so now I can go at least a week before too much frizz. I'm gonna try DreamMerchants method of braiding at night too.

with the tightly curly method, i can go 8 days. Each morning, i just wet my hands and fluff. I dont have to add any more conditioner.

WHen i get the frizzies, i wet my hands, put a little conditioner on it and twirl it with my fingers. my hair is straighter in the front (3b) and curlier in the back (3c, 4a)

i have tried this method when i do twist too, but you dont get the hold like with ECO Styler Gel or Uncle Funky's Curly Magic.

sounds pretty good! I wish we you could talk in real time in these forums instead of the email that tells you have a response method. I just happen to be on line at the time of your response.

Thanks Again!!!

I know huh? I bet Nikki what develop that before you know it.. LOL

MicaiahTy, your hair is gorgeous. I am gonna try the HeHH as a leave-in and see what results I get. My hair is 4a/b

Hey Ms. Coily, Let me know how it works!

MicaiahTy your hair is gorgeous. I have the same kind of hair. My curls weren't as defined in the type because it is a little frizzier and drier. I also do the curly tightly method. It took me a couple of weeks but I finally stopped fretting about it and kept up this technique and now it has become so much softer and I am really loving it. I just stopped worrying about it shrinking up, it just made me too crazy. I do this once a week, on weekends and the rest of the week I'm good to go. Now I'm just enjoying it growing and again as I've mentioned on other posts I just talk to it an tell it I'm so proud of the way it's been behaving. You know that commercial about the credit numbers running around because they are low and they are crazy (bad 409) that is the way my hair was now I just tell it "oh you are such a good curly head of hair (good 745) . LOL It loves it and it has been behaving so well. Curlychick don't give up, just be patient and your pretty curls will start to behave. You just have to find what works for you. If that means one day out of the week you have to pay more attention to it than so be it, you are worth it and you will see the benefits.

By the way MicaiahTy I live in Houston Texas too!!