Hey team! My name is Jessica. (You've seen me on the blog before
here and
here.) And, I am a self-proclaimed curly hair missionary. For all my curly-haired friends (and not-yet-friends), I will try to convert you to wearing your hair curly on a consistent basis. I will strive to do my best to get you to love your hair. How, you might ask, do I plan to do such a thing? Three steps: show you the curly hair bible, teach you why your curly hair is the way it is, and teach you how to take care of it.
Step 1: Your Curly Hair Bible
As a curly hair missionary, I have to share my bible. And, here it is:
If you want to know why your hair is the way it is, how to take care of it, and how to love it, then this is your bible. This is your guide through the process of throwing away your round brushes and straightening irons, the process of finding the right products for your hair, and the process of finding a way to love your hair even on those days when you sorta hate it.
Go
here for the accompanying website with tons of helpful videos, product resources, and links for a specially trained stylist in your area.
Step 2: Why is Your Hair Curly?
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Lorraine explains the reason that curly hair is the way it is. It basically comes down to this: curly hair is different from straight hair. It is fundamentally different because each strand has a completely different structure than a strand of straight hair. Curly hair is more dry because people with curly hair actually have fewer strands of hair on their head, and therefore fewer hair follicles, and therefore less oil is produced, which means that curly hair is naturally more dry. So what does curly hair need?
More moisture!
Step 3: How to Take Care of Your Hair!
Me before changing my hair care methods (2007)
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| Hair is stringy and curls aren't very full. |
Me a month or so after changing my hair care methods (December 2007)
(I must really like you guys, because this picture is terrible.)
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| Curls have a lot more bounce and aren't so stringy. |
Me last year after taking care of my curly hair the "right way" for about three years.
(This picture is so much better. Just sayin'.)
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| Curls have definition and body and limited frizz. |
First, stop brushing your hair. Just stop. Stop using a comb to detangle your hair in the shower. This will keep your curls from looking stringy. It will keep your curls bouncy and full. Use your fingers as much as possible to detangle your hair while your conditioner is in.
Second, stop using harsh shampoos. Look for a cleanser and conditioner that do not contain sulfates, silicones, or parabens. These chemicals will dry out your hair and scalp and coat your curls and make them look dull. Would you use your shampoo to wash your face? Probably not. Your scalp is an extension of your face, and the skin is just as delicate and deserves to be treated with great care.
Try this for a while: only use conditioner to cleanse your hair or find a
great creamy cleanser. When you get your hair wet in the shower, make sure to rinse it really well to get the product out. And, like Monica talked about in
this post, make sure to massage your scalp really well. Your scalp produces oil, which is sterile at the beginning, but then dirt attaches itself and your scalp gets yucky. So, massage the scalp gently with the pads of your fingers. Then, use conditioner on all of your hair except for the inch nearest your scalp. You will have to let your scalp adjust to not getting dried out all the time (it gets dried out because of all the washing and then it over-produces oil, which isn't good for you). It will take some time for your hair to adjust to all the moisture. It will take some time for your scalp to produce oil in the way that it should. BE PATIENT!
Third, apply your products. While your hair is still wet, put a quarter-size dollop of conditioner in your palm, flip your hair upside down and scrunch the conditioner into your hair from the ends. Your hair needs this extra moisture, especially initially. You may be able to phase it out eventually. Then, using an old t-shirt that you don't care about, scrunch the extra water from your hair from ends to roots. DO NOT use a towel. DO NOT be rough with your hair. Be gentle. This will help prevent frizz. Next, apply gel in that same upward scrunching motion. Make sure to apply the majority of the products to the outer layers of your hair. This hair gets the most damage, and therefore needs the most care. (Here's a
great link to a video that shows you how to apply product to your hair.)
Fourth, figure out how to get your hair dry. There are two options: air-drying or drying with a blow dryer with a diffuser attached. Blow drying your hair without a diffuser is not an option, unless you want to turn into a giant frizz ball, which I'm guessing you don't, right?
The moral of the story? CURLY HAIR ROCKS! How many times have you been wearing your hair curly and people say they love it? I know it's happened to me and I'm pretty sure it's happened to you. Embrace what you've got and make it work for you. Will you still have some "bad" hair days? Sure, we all do. But as you learn to take care of your hair I hope you'll learn to love it the
same way I've learned to love mine.
