how to define my natural curls

Hey everyone,
i'm new to this so bear with me
i've been going natural for about a year now, and now im fully natural.
I didnt make the big chop but i did cut the rest of my permed ends off.
But now I dont know what products to use on my hair and i dont know how to define my curls.
That's the main thing I want to know how to do actually, so i can wash and go!!!

any info is very helpful thx

onyx21. CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME.

Yes, but once it dries it seems as if the curls "disappear"

Congrats Onyx21!! A long term transitioner you must have a lot of patience, so go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back

So, how did you transition? Did you flat iron, wear wigs, extensions? Just need a little background info in order to point you in the right direction.

thank you i appreciate it!!!

i actually went natural 4 years ago when i was a senior in high school, but i didnt know what to do with it, so i ended up getting a perm again.

but i recently decided to go natural again 2 years ago. i just let it grow out and kept it flat ironed. I just did my first sew in this past summer and i liked it. it was a fro lol

i actually JUST finished doing my first co-wash and i liked it, i'll probably continue to do them.

Hi and welcome, can we see a pic of your hair? , how is it going now?

sure...i just changed my avatar.
I co-washed my hair last night for the first time
and i woke up this morning and it was extremely dry,
the avatar is how i wore it to church this morning.

What products should i use to keep my hair moisturized and retain the moisture during the night. (i slept w/a bonnet on too fyi).

would be helpful to also read some posts on here and look around and maybe u will run into something that will be very helpful..

Welcome to CS...

Moisture is the key and just wondering if you've tried Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. Both oils are great for shine/sheen and moisture when combined with your conditioners and stylers.

What products are you using now?

i've been using palmer's coconut oil (shampoo, conditioner and grease).

How often should i co-wash my hair before it starts retaining moisture???
it seems to always be dry
*yikes*

idk um...u could try out diff conditioners, shampoos and such to see what ur hair likes best ...i am still in the process of finding what my hair likes myself but um, to define ur curls, u might want to try out a new conditioner that has alot of moisturizing ingredients like hair milk, coconut milk and such and u could also use the coconut oil after conditioning.....also another good thing to use when u want ur curls to pop is eco styler olive oil gel...that helps, but u may have to glaze an oil over ur hair after u apply the gel. hope this helps

ok great, i'll definitely go and purchase some of these products real soon.

Thanks it helped a bunch

Hello Onyx and welcome. I agree with the ladies. Like Indi said, I would check out different conditioners and products to see what works. Also a good tip given was to check the threads, like I did to see what products work for the various types of hair. What is your hair type? That will help decide what products and what regimen to have. Its always good to start with basics, like shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, moisturizer and oils. For curl definition start with gels like eco styler or maybe 100% aloe vera gel. Then work your way to products like kinky curly or uncle funky's.
Have fun with the process

you should only co-wash you hair as needed. There are several methods to use to retain moisture. One is the baggy method where you infuse moisture into you hair buy using conditions. I've included a link directly to HairVeda's website that provides more details. HTH

The Baggy Method

thanks to both of you jeanlouiseangel and kinkynappyhappy.
i appreciate it alot.

I'm really not sure what my hair type is...its curly, so im gonna say curly LOL

hey everyone, here's an update.
i've began co-washing my hair at least once a week (i try to)
i have mixed coconut oil and olive oil to use as a daily moisturizer/conditioner for my hair and it is now softer than it has ever been, and I love it!!!
I finally cut my permed ends off and I am fully natural!!!
My new avatar is how my hair looks now. I have flexi rodded, and sponged rollered it up lol im going to try some twists and twist outs and frohawk in the near future!!!

Congrats!!!