So, about curly hair careā¦
So @evilpenguinrika and I were talking briefly about this and I realize that so many of us curlies are in the trenches when it comes to hair care, mostly due to popularized misinformation.
I spent the majority of my life not going natural because I was overwhelmed with the thought of managing my hair myself. If I knew years ago what I know now, it would have changed my life. š„² But, since itās never too late to see the light, I wanna share things Iāve learned from actual curl professionals (NOT Hairfluencers/Youtubers) about simplified healthy curly hair maintenance!
Basically, you only need three things for a bomb style with your curls:
shampoo and conditioner at least every 7 days
a good water-based gel or holding mousse applied to detangled wet hair to set your curls
hooded dryer or hand blow dryer with diffuser attached to dry your hair after setting it
How do you shampoo curly hair?
You get your hair sopping wet in the shower, like, make sure you spend a few minutes just letting the water run over and through your hair. Then, you take the shampoo and work it in by smoothing it through your hair from root to tip. You know those commercials where they have a woman piling all her hair up on top of her head and rubbing? Yeah, us curlies shouldnāt be doing that. It makes the detangling step even worse! šµāš«
After adding conditioner to completely saturated hair, take a detangling brush and work your way from root to tip. Then you rinse. This is called āactive conditioningā because youāre working the conditioner in instead of just slapping it on your hair to sit. Any shed strands will be collected in the brush to prevent drain clogs, and your curls will be defined without any āfairy knotsā (single strand knots).
How do I keep my curls moisturized?
Making sure you wash it regularly; donāt go longer than a week without a shampoo. Moisture is water. If your hair is dry, just hop in the shower and cleanse it, then restyle. Also, itās best not to towel-dry your hair; more water in your strands before you set your look is key to a lasting style!
How do I style curly hair?
However you want to! But if youāre looking for a basic āwash & goā, all you need is a mousse or water-based hair gel to put in your wet hair after the shower to define your curls and give them hold until you wash again. If you donāt want your hair to be frizzy, sit under a dryer after application until fully dry.
Please note that any other products (oils, creams, leave-in conditioner/treatments) arenāt needed, and may even be working directly against your hair goals.
Workingā¦ against? My hair goals?
Yeah. š„² Iād say the vast majority of specialty products hawked to those with curly/kinky hair are not needed. For example, if you want luscious, defined clumps of curls, you wonāt get that with leave in conditioners or butters or creams. Raw oils actually just coat your hair strand, which makes it shiny but also makes it waterproof and negatively affects scalp conditions. You have to clarify all of that out of your hair regularly in order to get moisture into your strands, so itās better to just leave them on the shelves.
Hair care should be simple, and it is! Most people just need a consistent wash cycle with quality hair products in order to see drastic results they thought they would only get after numerous expensive hair treatments.
What are some quality hair products?
Basically look for stuff that doesnāt have butters & oils in the first five ingredients. Having SOME formulated into hair products is good, but not to the point where itās the main draw of the product. Itās not the oils and butters that will help your curls, itās the cleansing and hydration from water that does! Quality products may have a higher price tag, but you donāt need to use a whole lot per wash so a little goes a long way! I wash my hair every 3-5 days and the bottles of shampoo/conditioner I bought a year and a half ago are still going strong. āŗļø
Also keep in mind that technique is key; if you donāt give yourself time to acquire the skill of managing curly hair to be its best, you could have the best products in the world and still be in shambles. This is where curl specialists come in, who offer workshops and consultations to teach you how to manage your hair at home so you end up saving a ton of time and money without all the guesswork.
So, who are these curl specialists?
I gotchu! All of the ones listed below are Black, but the core of curly hair care is not race-specific. As long as youāre not a non-Black tryna get locs or box braids, everything is cross-cultural! Some have online communities you can join for personalized help and instruction, but all have a wealth of information for free to get you started on your healthy curly hair journey.
Please note: These are licensed professionals that went to school to learn things about hair care the general public wouldnāt have access to otherwise. All they want is to bring clarity and simplicity to curly hair care!
Anita, @/monarchcurl on Twitter - monarchcurl.com
Camille Janae, @/camillejanae on Twitter - mahoganyandrose.com
Jennifer Rose, @/JenniferRoseNYC on Twitter - thefrohaus
Kera, @/CuseCurlfriend on Twitter - thecusecurlfriend.com
Nyquita, @/BrownSugarCurl on Twitter - brownsugarcurlsalon.com
A general directory of certified curl specialists to see if any are local to you - Cut It Kinky
kianamaiart
prguitarman
annaxmalina
snowghoul
stormborns
