For all you wonderful, gorgeous curly girls out there!
What we have to do to just maintain our minimal frizzy existence! All my curly clients want shiny, healthy, pretty hair that could rival any straight haired friend! Am I right?
For me and my kinky, curly, dry, brittle, frizzy hair I just want to have a style that doesn't look like I put my finger in a light socket. I don't want to look like a mad scientist with crazy puffy and fuzzy locks trailing behind me. Is this too much to ask?
How do we manage this? It's a serious curl-regimen that creates success for us curl girls. Here's my favorite curl care tips:
1. How often to shampoo? Less is more!
Curly hair gets less natural oils to the ends, because they get lost somewhere around the first curl. It's important that you clean your hair as needed - which means don't shampoo daily. Aim for 1-3 times per week.
2. Your shampoo choice is they key to retaining and adding moisture back in.
You want something that cleans the dirt and oil, but doesn't strip and dry the hair. Also, if you have color or highlights, you want to make sure you use a moisturizing shampoo for chemically treated hair - so the shampoo will clean your curls - but not remove the color molecule.
3. What conditioner/moisturizer is best?
It depends on your curl and hair type:
-Fine texture curly hair: A light but moisturizing conditioner
-Coarse and wiry curls: You need something with weight, to really add some coating to the outside layer of hair. Also, you might not want to rinse it out, or consider a leave-in cream moisturizer to help with styling.
4. Tame those crazy pop-up curls: Use a good leave-in moisturizer or cream to smooth, soften and tame those unwanted mid-day curls!
5. Use a hair wrap or silk/satin pillow case when you sleep. This will ensure the oils and moisture aren't leaving your hair and getting absorbed into your bedding!
6. Braiding your hair at night helps to protect the outside layer of the hair AND promotes health and shine.
7. Add a light topical oil to your hair consistently throughout the day. This helps tame your curls and gives you pretty, shiny, healthy-looking hair!
Susie is a Parisian-trained Balayage and haircolor educator. She teaches Balayage, haircolor and business building classes for hairdressers looking to expand their haircolor skills and techniques. Susie has been in the hair industry for 27 years, and has taught thousands of colorists in the Seattle area and nationwide. Learn More about Susie >