new thread
Hi all,
Firstly i apologise for my recent absense on the board. Christmas was hectic and i spent January working in Angola, but i am back now and will hopefully be about a bit more! Here are a few pics showing my progress. It's been 20 months since my last #1 haircut and my total length is now around the 12" mark i.e when wet and pulled straight it is nearly at the base of my shoulder blades. I dont have a final goal length i just want to let it grow and see what happens. I feel that in around six months i can classify myself as a true 'longhair when dry'!!!.
I hope everyone here is well and lovin their long hair!
All the best
Mat
PS: a side note for fellow wavy/curly heads. I started the CG method in the last week of november (google Curly girl/guy for a description) This means that i have avoided silicones completly and i have not used shampoo in just over 2 months! My hair is sooo much healthier as a result and detangling is no longer the chore it used to be. So my advice to anyone with dry hair is too check this method of haircare out.
PPS: This pic is without styling products so there is a little frizz!
A picture from December with a little product
Also December but from the back
Your hair looks fantastic. It's so shiny and wavy!
Hi Mat,
Thanks for the update and good to see you posting again. I hope you had a good time in Angola and it's one place in the world I've not been to and would be interested to heaer what is was like.
You hair has certainly come along way in 20 months and it's great to see naturaly curly longhair and I know it takes a bit longer to grow in length and suits you well and do keep it growing.
Cheers,
John.
Hi Mat,
Welcome back to the hyperboard, and I am glad that you had a wonderful Christmas. Your curls are awesome, and be sure to keep up the great growth!
Keep it growing,
David
Hi Matt,
I did not have much luck finding the info on Google, and I am wondering if you just mean "conditioner only" washing, (of course with a product not containing nasty stuff)? Let me know what the CG method is if you can,
Thanks,
-Dan
Hi Dan,
The basic idea is to only wash with conditioner. The reason for this is that the majority of shampoo's contain sulfates (sodium laurel sulfate been the most common) and these tend to be very drying which is obviously a problem for people with dry hair to begin with. www.naturallycurly.com has all the information in their FAQ section. It sounds like you know your ingredients but the main nasty's are pretty much anything that that ends in -cone or -xane such as dimethicone and amodimethicone. The only reason for avoiding silicones is that conditioner only washing cannot remove them completly and hence you get a build up.
I hope this answered your question
All the best
Mat
Hi Mat,
You and I have the same type of hair, except mine is largely gray. I too just had my 20th month anniv. of my last head shave. Your hair looks great, you have fast growth. Mine grows more slowly, I am probably 2 inches behind you. I've explored CG site and got great advice. I too am a conditioner only user. Keep growing, I know growing Curly hair can be frustrating but the result is well worth it.
Cheers!
Don
Hey Mat, very fine update! You have superb hair...keep it going and congrats.
Cheers,
Max
Haha, you have similar hair to mine (maybe a tad less urly though), and I CO/CG as well. Looking good. ^_^
You may want to make sure whatever products you use are cone free too, if you are using them. xD Those things can be chock full of cones at times, with the rare cone-free one.
I find that using a dollop of conditioner with gel and oil works just fine for me. ^_^
Hi Mat.You have such amazingly curly hair, but it looks very cool.Don't worry about the lack of posting as we all get busy at times.Great pics btw.Anyway hope to see you around more in the future my friend.Cheers
Mark
Wow, Angola. That's not somewhere you hear of someone visiting very often. I'm sure it was fun though. Do they still speak much Portuguese there? I've heard it really sounds different than Brazilian or European Port.
Your hair looks great, and what you are doing is working. My hair is only slightly less curly than yours, so I know the woes of which you speak! I still use shampoo, but just not much. A longhair when wet is still a long hair! ;-)
Congrats on finding a hair care routine that works for you. I've gone to once-a-week shampoo/conditioner for my lightly wavy hair and it's made a big difference. Growing out very curly hair does seem like a challenge but it looks like it's suiting you well.
Chris
Hi Mat. You have lots and lots of waves on your hair. It is probably wavier than mine. Just keep growing out your curly hair. Yes, I have wavy hair, but I have a rarely dry problem.
Matthew
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Your curly hair looks great, Mat. Not using shampoo has worked well for you. This method works well for many with curly hair.
My beard is curly and dry and I use very little shampoo on it.
Great update, keep it growing.
scott
Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement
All the Best
Mat
Hey Mat,
Since your post, I got looking for the advice from the sites you mention. As a result, I ordered the "MopTop" line for myself, and have been getting rid of "the cones". I did their little process with baking soda last night, and what a difference getting the gunk out of my hair has made. Feels a pound lighter!
I only have "Wavy" hair (#2) in their system, but putting the wrong stuff in to control the frizz compounds the problems one can have with this type of hair. Mostly, I need moisture in the hair and not grease, oil or waxes.
I will let you all know how it goes as I start switching to the new products and further away from "the cones".
-Daniel
Glad to hear this system is working for you and the pre and post pictures usually speak for themselves! You may go through a bit of an adjustment phase and this can be anything from a few days to a few weeks. This is due to the scalp having to adjust to not receiving the harsh sulfates any more. A microfibre towel also greatly reduces frizz. Hope to see some pictures when your happy with the routine.
All the best
Mat