Style & Go! - The Start of A Damp/Dry Styling Routine??

So I've been feeling a bit under as I've been having some bad bouts of hayfever and not been to the gym this week. I usually go 2-3 times a week and coincide those days with wash and re-styling. Since I usually want to rinse/wash all the sweat off my scalp.
Today I didn't go to the gym and did not feel like washing my 3rd day hair but my hair was frizzing up all over - I guess "medium- hold" Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel can only last so long (review coming by the way).
I suppose another propeller for this action was Taliah, she had convinced me at the Afro Hair & Beauty Show that styled, defined coils were best achievable on dry Type 4 hair.

So I decided to try a quick re-style on damp hair 1st. Why damp and not dry? I simply like to moisturise my hair with water every day. I used this as an opportunity to lightly hydrate Dafro, but not saturate her .

I also wanted to spot test a couple of curl cremes - Trevor Sorbie's original curl cream and Boots pink curl creme. I used a light gel in this case the Aldi Carino purple gel.  I used a light gel because I was basically refreshing over pre-styled hair that still had some gel left over and did not want to over do the gel situation.

Results of styling on damp nearly dry hair.
To date this method of applying gel onto 2nd/3rd nearly dry hair has been great at producing longer lasting excellent definition.  I'm also the type whom likes twists/twist outs on damp/ semi-dry hair because of better elongation.
So the same principle could be applied here.
A winning method for even more defined coils especially in areas usually hard to define. More elongation on day 1 hair. Basically the kind of elongated and bigger hair you get on day 2 is the type you could get on day 1 with this method.
As for the curl cremes.. they didn't do much for me. The Aldi carino purple gel gave a soft hold.

Have you damp or dry styled? What have been your results?
This method is a Keeper. Currently I've taking to re-styling on 2nd day hair for better definition and elongation which lasts the rest of the week for me.

The Drying Series 1: How To Diffuse Afro Coily Kinky Hair.

Or rather, How I diffuse my hair.
One of the most common complaints of ladies trying to wash, style and go is how long the hair takes to dry. With popular products such as KCCC, Ecostyler gel drying times can take a day and a half to dry.
That need not be the case, unless you prefer to stay away from heat entirely.
I tend to diffuse if I need to be somewhere ASAP or sometimes if I just don't want to be stuck with a damp/wet heat for the most part of the day. In this pic tutorial I was using Queen Helen Curl Shaping Creme, a product heavily composed with humectants. For this reason, I decided to diffuse because I just didn't want to be stuck with a wet-head for most of the day, as experienced with humectant heavy stylers in the past.
I use a simple blow-dryer. The particular brand is Kokou. I picked this up from the local hair shop priced around £20 or so.

It's a hair-dryer, it's supposed to have grease marks!

The diffuser attachment I got from a local Sally's. Priced around £10.
I got a large cup, because I liked the idea of covering a larger surface area, as I felt that would take less time.

Attachment orifice

Separate components

Combined components

There really isn't an exact science but more of a strategy in how I choose to dry.
I dry on the warm setting in each section for about 20 seconds. I start with the crown area and work my way round in a spiral fashion around my head leaving my extremities last.

Warm setting control. Black = Cool, Red = Hot

I start and focus mainly at the crown because that usually takes the longest to dry. I don't linger so much around the extremities/edges, because they usually air-dry the quickest.

Diffuser cup further away on warm

Head bent upside down to show starting area.

Direction I diffuse around my head

Why tip your head upside-down? To create more volume on the top and prevent the flat-head-helmet head look. (No offense if that is what you go for.)
Then I use the cool setting to help close the cuticles and encourage better definition. I bring the cup much closer to my hair mimicking a scrunching method.

Diffuser much closer to 'scrunch' on cool.

               

                                                       Results...

Before diffusing (flash)

        Immediately after diffusing (flash)

  In sunlight afterwards (no flash)

                                              

Introduction, Meet Dafro!

Meet 'Dafro'...

She's been around since December 2004, she's been coloured   at least 3 times, straightened once and cut numerous times by her pesky fickle owner.
After making her utmost displeasure at being straightened in 2011 known. Her owner has decided to log her treatment and behaviour towards Dafro online. You see Dafro can appear to be quite rebellious but in actual fact she is fragile, kinky, coily and crazy about moisture. She knows what she wants and always knows how to get her feelings across. She only acts so hard,because she wants to be treated gently and taken care off properly. (An attitude the owner may be familiar with all too well..)


Hello! I'm Coilychi, The owner of Dafro. 
I'll be using this blog  to showcase and chronicle the care, maintenance and my experiences with several products on Dafro. I refuse to believe that care of such hair type needs to be expensive or break the bank. I will be sharing some hair-tips as well as picking up some from you! I also refuse to believe that the care and maintenance of kinky, coily hair is as arduous as lots claim, hence the name Coily as 123. 
Coilyas123 represents the idea that natural haircare can be simple as 123 :p.
After being in the natural community for so long, I have observed that several practices may not always be necessary and that it's just as important to stick to what works for you and only you.  So though some of my tips and techniques may go against popular mainstream practices. It works for me. Type 4 hair is reknowned for being very difficult to deal with. I strongly believe that this is not the case and desire to show that on this blog.
In time, I hope the progress evident on my hair will serve as testament to this fact. Follow me, comment, suggest, subscribe and watch Dafro's progression.


Thank you for stopping by :)