“Excuse me.” you say? You have natural curl and you are not overjoyed? You dream of arrow-straight hair?
The sad truth is that ninety percent of women, with curly hair, hate it. They spend forty- five minutes blowing it out so that there is no trace of curl –every time they wash their hair. Then they have to avoid humidity at all cost or spray it with a super-hold anti-humidity hairspray. They look at fashion models and movie stars longing for the sleek, shiny, straight hair, but things are looking up for up for the curly haired woman. Curly hair is making a come back. TV actresses, such as Debra Messing of Will&Grace, Felicity’s Keri Russell and Gloria Ruben of ER, are showing the world that curl can be stylish and sexy.
Learning to love your curls after years of contempt is not an easy endeavor. The answer is in the condition, control and shine. Naturally curly hair is almost always dehydrated. Extra moisturizing shampoo and conditioner is needed to keep it in balance. Look for products with the words moisturizing or smoothing in the name or description.. Styling aids control the volume and keep the curls separated. The use of a gel offers a better result than mousse since mousse lets hair grow in volume. This is something most people with natural curl fight. I prefer a gel that stays soft. A soft gel keeps the curls separated into ringlets and is more manageable. An anti-frizz serum or smoothing serum should also be applied. There are numerous lines of smoothing serums, frizz control and curl enhancers available. Shine will come when the condition and control issues are dealt with. Many gels, serums and frizz aids are made to produce extra shine. The market is finally catering to curly haired girls.
Apply the products evenly, making sure to coat the entire hair shaft. Comb only enough to distribute the product and to remove tangles. Curly hair is at its best air-dried or diffused using an attachment to the dryer keeping the curls in place with only some scrunching allowed. Scrunching is grabbing some hair and pushing the curl in while gently squeezing. After it is completely dry you may loosen the locks with the fingers or a large pick. Never comb or brush the hair. This only increases the volume and frizzes the hair. Experimenting will show you just how much fluffing you hair will stand without appearing frizzy.
I suggest keeping a water-filled spray bottle on hand for mornings when you are not able to shampoo. The water will reactivate the styling aids and freshen your curls.
Start thinking about the freedom of not having to fight your curl. With proper care and products, curly hair is beautiful. Be proud of it.
Curl Talk: Everything You Need to Know to Love and Care for Your Curly, Kinky, Wavy, or Frizzy Hair |
