Recently i've made the decision to finally STOP straightening my naturally curly hair. I've hated my curls for as long as I can remember. Even in middle school I used to wake up at 5:30 AM just to straighten my hair because the thought of going to school with my natural curls was a horrifying thought! I longed for the natural stick straight locks that all the other "prettier" girls seem to all have. That same mentality sadly stayed with me far into my 20's until only recently...at 28 years old did I realize that I was so tired of straightening my hair every single day! I'm a mom of two now...I also don't have the time to do it! So I started wearing my hair curly. At first it was only because I wanted to be free from my Chi, but after a few months I actually started to like and appreciate my curly hair. For the reason I hated it growing up, is now the reason I love it...it's different! However, now that I finally appreciate my curls, I really had no idea how to care for them...how to make my hair look it's best. So, I recently asked my awesome Play Create Explore followers on my Facebook Page for curl advice and I was so suprised at the response! There are so many simple ways to care for my curls to really bring out the best in my hair! Here I will share the wisdom they shared with me for those of you who are perhaps a little lost on the ART OF CURL!
1. Only let a stylist trained specifically to
cut curly hair, cut your hair!
This was something i'd never considered before and after it was suggested, I started researching it. Women with curly hair really only need someone who is professionally experienced with the different types and properties of curly hair to cut their hair. It makes such a huge difference! You can use this website to find a professional curly hair salon or stylist in your area!
2. Sleep on a satin pillow case
Prevent next day frizz and keep your curls intact while you sleep by sleeping on a satin pillow case.
3. Use a wide tooth comb to untangle wet curls in the shower
4. Infrequent shampooing
Shampoo as infrequently as possible to avoid stripping your hair of it's natural oils.
You can rinse or condition between washes. You can also try a shampoo free or "no poo" method, like this woman did!
5. Use SULFATE FREE shampoo and conditioning products that are made for curly hair if possible.
A few products that were suggested were Deva Curl Shampoo, Quidad, Bumble and Bumble, and Paul Mitchel products. There are several in store shampoos and conditioners now that are specifically designed for curly hair, just make sure they are sulfate and silicone free.
6. Condition, condition, condition!
Curly hair tends to be dryer than other hair types and requires extra conditioning to maintain the frizz free locks that you want. Try to leave your conditioner on for a few minutes and I suggest a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week.
7. Don't use a regular towel to dry your hair
This was actually one of the best tips I received!
Regular towels are too drying for curls and can also mess with your curl pattern. Instead, use a cotton tee shirt to scrunch your hair, just as you would a regular towel. I use my husbands old tee shirts and it makes such a noticeable difference!
8. Using your tee shirt, do the "plopping method"
prior to drying your hair.
It's kind of like wrapping a towel on your head but remember, curly girls aren't supposed to use regular towels. This plopping method will keep the shape of your curl intact and makes for much prettier curls! I now do this every morning! I "plop" my hair while I do my makeup. To see how to "plop," go HERE .
9. Use styling products specifically for curly hair
I had several suggestions for curly hair products such as Bumble and Bumble Curl Cream, Dove Whipped Cream Mousse, and Ouidad Curl Styling Gel-Cream. Try to stay away from gel products which produce the crunchy 80's style curls instead of soft, defined curls that a styling CREAM can produce.
10. Let curls dry naturally or use a diffuser on your hair dryer
Ideally you should let your curls dry naturally to keep the moisture in your hair since curly hair tends to be dryer. However, if you must blow dry your hair, use a diffuser on your hair dryer which lessens frizz to produce more defined curls!
LOVE and EMBRACE
YOUR CURLS!
**UPDATE**
1/17/2013
I have been Poo Free (shampoo free) for a few months now and I am SO happy with my curls!
I have never loved my curly hair more!
I use a Homemade Scalp Cleanse which you can find the recipe to by clicking the photo below!
Click HERE to view my Homemade Beauty Remedies Board on Pinterest!
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You, and your hair, are gorgeous! I found naturallycurly.com a while back, and it also made me love my curls (waves). :) You summed it up very well!
ReplyDeleteYour post amused me very much because I spent most of my life getting up early to curl my very, very straight hair. All I wanted was bouncy, sassy hair like yours! I guess all women struggle with not liking how we are made until we learn to embrace God's creation.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have The Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey w/Michele Bender yet you should get it. There are tons of homemade recipes in there for your curls too. It also comes with a DVD. I LOVE MY WAVES!
ReplyDeleteI HAVE LOVED MY CURLS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. I LOVE DEVA OR QUIDAD PRODUCTS. WHEN YOU GET YOUR HAIR CUT AT DEVA OR QUIDAD IT MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. LIVING IN NYC IT IS EASY TO GO TO THE DEVA OR QUIDAD. LOOK AT THE WEB SITES THEY HAVE CERTIFIED STYLIST AT OTHER LOCATIONS.
ReplyDeleteVery informative blog. Loved it. Everything about curls explained very well by you. Well done dear :)
ReplyDeleteI will surely follow you to learn more :)
As an alternative to the t-shirt method, I HIGHLY recommend using microfiber towels. That is essentially what the DevaTowel is from DevaCurl. I started using one a few years ago after I read The Curly Girl Handbook and it was fantastic. For many years, I could only really find dish-towel sized microfiber towels. But last year I found body-towel sized ones and they are FANTASTIC!!!! Much less abrasive, not just for my hair, but for my whole body and SUPER absorbant!
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