Beauty

[Funloving]

On 4/4/2014 shoekitty said:

Funloving

Congrats on finishing treatment. I have had breast cancer, and am 11 years clean. After you have gone through breast cancer, life becomes easier I think. Maybe easier isn't the exact word.

I have had many, many friends with breast cancer and most had chemo. The hair situation after treatment is a draw of the cards! I have had friends who had straight hair, get curly hair for a while, and visa vera. Gray hair before treatment turned dark after treatment. The best is many ladies I know actually got thicker hair! Me I become curlier, and finer. It was nice until my gray hair caught up with me and made my hair frizzy.

The ladies on these boards have been life savers to me. There is nothing like experience from the mouths of those dealing with curly hair. My hair is so much work now. More work than it ever was. But the good part? Cancer free, so I go with the flow.

I started using Deva Curl no poo with my WEN. I use the micro towel drying method ( and tee shirts work aswell, I learned from Jazzbabe). The Deva Curl Light gel has been the one product I couldn't live without, but that is me. I don't comb my hair after washing. I do run fingers through a bit. I do the drying and gel while my head is tipped downward. Flip over, then let dry completely.

Congrats to YOU on 11 years Shoekitty!--- How AWESOME!!-- I understand "life gets easier"... simply because you don't sweat the small stuff.

I've been using the T-shirt method for a while now.. so I always have a stack at the ready with my regular towels. I do want to try the Deva Curl Light gel from everything I've read so far. I'm telling you.. the curly hair community has opened up a whole new avenue of information and research. It's a bit mind boggling right now. Who Knew?

My breast cancer was negative for both hormone receptors & HER2, or triple negative, which are almost all grade III. (like Robin Roberts on GMA) But I was a stage 1 & grew to a stage 2, node neg while waiting on self-admission into MD Anderson... 7 hours each way.. but worth every mile, Sometimes I caught a flight instead of driving. Driving was easier somehow... and I've always despised long car travel. Yet it was cathartic.. a good time to reflect.

I have a feeling my curls are here to stay. We'll see. Congrats again! --- you don't know how uplifting that is to me. My last tx was mid Feb 2012 followed by a BMX with expander placement. I tested BRCA positive, and unfortunately my grown daughter also has the genetic mutation. But awareness is key! Like me she'll have a prophylactic BSO & is monitored closely with MRIs & U/S. Due to neoadjuvant therapy, which was highly effective- my path came back as good as possible- a pCR. (pathological complete response). I feel healthier now than prior to dx- in mind, body & spirit!

Edited to add: I run a wide tooth comb through my hair after products.. then DON'T touch it. This has been key to no frizz. I try not to cleanse too frequently.. but that's nothing new either. When I wake the next morning.. say 2nd or 3rd day after cleanse, I do have some stubborn frizzy spots (mainly in the back) and I'm learning how to rejuvenate just those areas. I do a little gentle scrunching, but try to keep my hands off my hair. I'm finding the less I mess with it, the better it looks as far as true shiny defined curls.

[shoekitty]

Funloving

You have a very difficult cancer I can see that. Are you triple negative or double negative? Treatment has come so far even since I was first diagnosed! It is truely amazing. I have a great relationship with the Dr Susan Love breast cancer research center. They were a great help, and there are sooooooo many trials out there. If you are in California im May they are having the Dr Susan Love research march for a cure. It is in of all gorgeous places, Pacific Palasades. OMG, that is near Malibu, and nest of beauty. I was thinking of traveling from NoCal to go. I am sorry about the BRCA, but much is being done.

About the combing of the hair. So after you towel dry hair, and apply gel you comb? I thought it might frizz me, or loose curl definition. But I may need to try that as I feel my hair is tangled sometimes the second day. I learn something new everyday. Believe me I never even thought about the tee shirts until jazz mentioned it.. I have those DEVA micro towel gloves, but they are a waste of money. What was I thinking? They would be okay for short hair, but mine is about 3 inches past shoulders.

[Funloving]

On 4/4/2014 babs said:

Funloving, get ready to love your curls! Head back to Sally's & check out the As I Am line. No sulfates or silicones in what I use. The Coconut Co-wash comes in a tub & though I hated the packaging at first, I adapted to it easily.

Smells heavenly, cleans thoroughly, rinses out *easily* & doesn't dry hair out! I use coconut oil on my hair once a week as a mask & I just leave it up in a clip for 2 hours or so. I never believed that the co-wash would wash that out as easily as it does. I wet my hair, work the co-wash through & leave it in while I finish my shower. It rinses right out & hair is conditioned, no extra step, no prolonged rinsing.

I add a *little* of the co-wash as a leave-in, concentrating from ears down, then run what's left on my hands through the rest of my hair. I squeeze it into my ends. Tried their leave-in conditioner but prefer using just the co-wash as it has more moisture. I rake their Curling Jelly through hair concentrating again from ears down. Then I wrap my head in a *microfiber* towel, flip my head upside down & just scrunch the water out.

I leave the towel on for maybe another 10 minutes while doing something else, then I scrunch some more (upside down). By scrunching upside down, it gives me more lift at the crown & roots. Take the microfiber towel off & just let the curls air dry. Easy, easy, easy, & hair's wonderfully conditioned. The As I Am line is reasonably priced. Check out the reviews!

ETA~ For a change, I sometimes use Wen, but I try hard to stay silicone-free. I enjoy it as a treat now & again. I also use the Deva line, but quite frankly, the As I Am is the simplest & most effective for me & I'm all about simplicity!

babs- Thanks so much for all your input. I've been doing coconut oil treatments for at least 5 years- well, back when my hair was super long...

and always used my clarifying Redkin Cleansing Cream shampoo after, thinking there's no way possible Wen or any co-wash could remove the oil. After THAT I do use Wen as a second cleanse... So it's good to hear co-wash thoroughly removes the oil. (I often sleep with CO in my hair wrapped in plastic and one of those terry hair holder thingamajigs)- Sorry to be so technical.

Thank you all for tolerating my many questions..

babs, are you saying Wen has silicones? I thought the cleansers were silicone-free. I looked at the ingredient deck of 613 and didn't see cones..... ?

[knmt]

I've been using Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Grooming Pomade for about 6 years and absolutely love it! Received a sample at a luncheon and another gal with naturally curly short hair and I have been using it ever since. It's primarily for short, naturally curly hair and gives a great shine and best of all is a winner when the weather is humid--no frizz. My hair always feels soft. Wouldn't be without it! You don't need much and the jar lasts a long time.

[babs]

On 4/4/2014 Funloving said:

On 4/4/2014 babs said:

Funloving, get ready to love your curls! Head back to Sally's & check out the As I Am line. No sulfates or silicones in what I use. The Coconut Co-wash comes in a tub & though I hated the packaging at first, I adapted to it easily.

Smells heavenly, cleans thoroughly, rinses out *easily* & doesn't dry hair out! I use coconut oil on my hair once a week as a mask & I just leave it up in a clip for 2 hours or so. I never believed that the co-wash would wash that out as easily as it does. I wet my hair, work the co-wash through & leave it in while I finish my shower. It rinses right out & hair is conditioned, no extra step, no prolonged rinsing.

I add a *little* of the co-wash as a leave-in, concentrating from ears down, then run what's left on my hands through the rest of my hair. I squeeze it into my ends. Tried their leave-in conditioner but prefer using just the co-wash as it has more moisture. I rake their Curling Jelly through hair concentrating again from ears down. Then I wrap my head in a *microfiber* towel, flip my head upside down & just scrunch the water out.

I leave the towel on for maybe another 10 minutes while doing something else, then I scrunch some more (upside down). By scrunching upside down, it gives me more lift at the crown & roots. Take the microfiber towel off & just let the curls air dry. Easy, easy, easy, & hair's wonderfully conditioned. The As I Am line is reasonably priced. Check out the reviews!

ETA~ For a change, I sometimes use Wen, but I try hard to stay silicone-free. I enjoy it as a treat now & again. I also use the Deva line, but

babs, are you saying Wen has silicones? I thought the cleansers were silicone-free. I looked at the ingredient deck of 613 and didn't see cones..... ?

My Wen Summer Mango Coconut lists amodimethicone on the bottle. My Wen Lavender styling Creme lists dimethicone & trimethylsilylamodimethicone on the bottle. I still use them from time to time but in general feel that 'cones are drying for me so I just use them as a treat. I do use Wen's oil on my scalp quite often.

I like Shea Moisture's hydrating line as well - & Deva Mister Right & their gel. I do alternate depending on how my hair feels & to get some variety.

[4doggies]

My hair is very curly, I haven't worn it long since the 80"s. I'm one of those ones who 'fight' it, short in the back, longer on top and sides, (inverted bob) I use a straight iron but it only takes a few minutes and lasts between shampoos.

I think the cut is vitally important, especially for curly hair. Too many layers and you look like a poodle, too few layers and it looks lank and frizzy (I've been both places). If you haven't found someone who cuts in perfectly, keep looking. My test for a great cut is hair that looks almost the same when you get out of bed in the morning as when it's styled. Good luck!

[Kathlen]

I'm letting mine grow out after lots of years of very short hair - and it's coming in curlier than I remember.

It's down just below my ears. I'm still in the wash and wear phase. Out of the shower, apply some texturizer to wet hair - comb through - tousle and let dry.

[Funloving]

On 4/4/2014 shoekitty said:

Funloving

You have a very difficult cancer I can see that. Are you triple negative or double negative? Treatment has come so far even since I was first diagnosed! It is truely amazing. I have a great relationship with the Dr Susan Love breast cancer research center. They were a great help, and there are sooooooo many trials out there. If you are in California im May they are having the Dr Susan Love research march for a cure. It is in of all gorgeous places, Pacific Palasades. OMG, that is near Malibu, and nest of beauty. I was thinking of traveling from NoCal to go. I am sorry about the BRCA, but much is being done.

About the combing of the hair. So after you towel dry hair, and apply gel you comb? I thought it might frizz me, or loose curl definition. But I may need to try that as I feel my hair is tangled sometimes the second day. I learn something new everyday. Believe me I never even thought about the tee shirts until jazz mentioned it.. I have those DEVA micro towel gloves, but they are a waste of money. What was I thinking? They would be okay for short hair, but mine is about 3 inches past shoulders.

Shoekitty- I have a wealthy aunt in Pacific Palasades. Oh yea, it's breathtaking. She has a mountain view and the grounds are straight out of a magazine. Aunt Louanne's a treat & real character..... Hmmm. Can you see those wheels turning? Maybe a visit is in order in May.. Her traveling buddy used to be Barbara Billingsley...

The BRCA mutation is the least of my worries personally. I just hope my 3 granddaughters are free from this. It won't be long before my eldest will be graduating from high school. By the time they come of age I hope things have improved by leaps and bounds.

Triple negative; ER-, PR- & HER2- Yes a difficult type- due to fairly recent recognition... yet a hot spot in research- hallelujah! 3N accounts for approx.. 20% of all BC population. Many TNs are very young women. We've indeed made strides recently but unfortunately not nearly enough. It saddens me to grow so close to many of the ladies- then we lose one or two at the rate of about once a week lately. When it recurs it usually returns with a vengeance.

MD Anderson has one of the largest research and trial data bases, with new trials opening up daily.

The problem lies w/ several subtypes and inability to differentiate the exact differences between those 6 known subtypes (& quite possibly more) for true targeted treatment. There's no "after drug" like Tamoxifen and similar for ER positives, or Hercepton for HER2 positives. Excuse any misspellings of these drugs. My head's been stuck in triple neg research almost exclusively since 2011.

While closely monitored for 5 years, we get a big pat on the back and "good luck" once tx is completed instead of a drug to help keep cancer at bay. I consider this disease (despite the dire-appearing stats) the greatest journey yet encountered in life. I learned real fast, at least for me, it's essential to keep your sense of humor in tact!

My hair is probably an inch past shoulder length when straight, and brushes the top of my shoulders when curly. The curl is so strong I can comb through when soaking wet and still be quite curly if left alone to dry. This may change as my hair grows... but must say I'm liking the current length and may just keep it this way.

It'll be interesting fer sure! But hey! I'm always up for a new challenge...Well, excluding the obvious.

[azterry!]

welcome to curly world!

I am a big proponent of clipping up the crown for lift when drying. My curl pattern is very weak at the top of my head and my hair is extremely thick there too. I clip to avoid the dreaded ""pyramid head""

My hair is a few inches below my shoulders and very thick. The double prong or alligator clips weren't holding very well for me. I found these clamps on the Curl Keeper website and I can't recommend them highly enough. They give some lift and also help keep the curls defined. There is a great video on the site for how to use them--frizzoff.com

[Funloving]

On 4/5/2014 azterry! said:

welcome to curly world!

I am a big proponent of clipping up the crown for lift when drying. My curl pattern is very weak at the top of my head and my hair is extremely thick there too. I clip to avoid the dreaded ""pyramid head""

My hair is a few inches below my shoulders and very thick. The double prong or alligator clips weren't holding very well for me. I found these clamps on the Curl Keeper website and I can't recommend them highly enough. They give some lift and also help keep the curls defined. There is a great video on the site for how to use them--frizzoff.com

I saw these! I'm thinking this might be more of what I need simply due to the heaviness of my hair. Thanks azterry! For the clip info and the welcome.