I love my curls. It wasn’t
always like that. There were times when I wished I had straight hair like all
the other girls around me who looked so sweet and normal and could be pretty
anytime with just some quick brushing. Instead I got stuck with my unruly and
disobedient curly hair. It had a constant frizz that gave me this electrocuted
look. Thankfully, today I can say that my misery is over. After many years of
experiments and accumulated knowledge and experience, I have found what works
for me and I am happy with the way my hair is. Since numerous women recently
asked me about what I use for my hair, I decided to share my entire curly hair
routine and recommendations here on my blog.
1. Get a good haircut
A good haircut starts with a
talented hairstylist who knows how to work with curly hair, knows how to listen
to the client, knows what to suggest, and is able to manifest her vision. It
helps if you bring photos of hairstyles that you like and make sure that your
hairstylist can repeat in his/her own words what your idea is. I prefer when my
hair is cut at a 45 degrees angle from the bottom. This gives the face a nice
framing and allows the curls to bounce nicely on top of each other.
2. Use a gentle shampoo
Curly hair is dry by nature. It
is recommended to avoid any harsh chemicals and salts, such as Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate (SLS), which dry out the hair. Hair, like skin, can show sensitivity to
some products; when you try a new product, notice if it makes your hair feel dry
– that’s your sign that it’s not good for your hair. Desert
Essence Coconut Shampoo for dry hair is my favorite shampoo. iHerb offers
the best price that I know of.
3. Switch your conditioner with hair mask
Hydration is important to the
health and beauty of dry hair. There are conditioners designed especially for dry
hair, but hair masks give even better results. My favorite hair mask is Alterna
Bamboo Smooth Kendi Intense Moisture Masque, which I get on Amazon. A
cheaper option is Neutrogena
Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask, which you can find in almost any
grocery store or pharmacy.
4. Use a microfiber towel
Regular cotton towels are too
rough for the hair and cause frizz. Using a towel with fine fibers allows you
to gently dry the hair while leaving it soft and silky. I got my Aquis
microfiber towel from Pharmaca.
5. Style your hair when it’s wet
When your hair is towel dry,
that’s the time to add all your hair products and style your hair. Trying to
design curly hair when it’s dry is not a good idea – you will end up with
frizzy hair.
6. Prep your hair with natural oil
Instead of expensive serums or
leave in conditioners that usually fail to keep the moisture in your hair, I
found that using natural oils on towel dry hair is the best way to lock the
moisture in for a long period of time. I love to use fractionated
coconut oil (meaning coconut oil that doesn’t solidify at low temperature).
There are several options on Amazon that are relatively inexpensive – between
$10-$13 for 16oz (500ml). One bottle lasts me about 3 months, and I use the oil
liberally. When my hair feels dryer than usual, I mix the coconut oil with
vitamin E oil (I use Trader Joe’s), which has a heavier consistency than the
coconut oil.
7. Style with hydrating cream
Oil will give your hair moisture
but will not provide any styling quality. This is where you apply styling gel
or cream to really define your curls and give your hair a very well made look.
My favorite product is Beautiful
Curls: Activating Cream babies and Sensitive Curls. Best price on iherb. I
completely drench my hair with this product – about 2 heaping tablespoons for
my over-the-shoulder length hair. It absorbs completely in my hair and doesn’t
flake when it dries. Less than this quantity and I end up with frizzy hair
within a couple of hours.
8. Use hair clips to give your roots a lift
Curly hair tends to be flat closer
to the roots. If you want to give your hair a little lift from the roots, use
medium size hair
clips such as 1¼inch (3.5cm) wide.
After styling with products clip the section of hair that you want to
lift, and leave it there while getting ready for the day.
9. Let hair dry naturally or semi dry it with a hair diffuser
Natural air dry is best for
natural curly hair. If you are in a hurry or it’s very cold outside and you don’t
want to go out with wet hair – use a hair diffuser to dry your hair gently,
while being careful not to mess up your curls. Stop drying before your hair is
completely dry. Over drying your hair will cause frizz.
10. For added volume, shake hair when dry
After styling your hair with
your favorite products and letting it dry you will have tight curls that are
close to the face. If you want more volume and movement simply bend your head
forward, insert your fingers into your hair closer to the skull and shake from
the roots. You can separate some big tight curls this way, but don’t over do it
or you will end up with frizzy hair.
![]() |
L - open curls R - tight curls |
I hope all these tips help the
curly girls out there. If you have products or styling technique that
you like, please share in the comments below.
ממליצה לישון עם מסכה לשיער במשך לילה שלם?
ReplyDeleteוהבעיה עם שמן זה שהוא לא יורד בחפיפה וכל ריח אפשרי נדבק אליו
שמן בשיער או על הגוף גם הורס את המגבות. אפשר לישון עם מסכה, אבל לתת לשיער זמן להתייבש לפני שנכנסים למיטה. אם אני בבית יום שלם, אני שמה מסיכה במקום חומר עיצוב. למחרת בבוקר אני רק שוטפת את השיער ומסדרת אותו כרגיל.
Deleteאבל כתבת על מריחת שמנים טבעיים
Deleteאת לא משתמשת במגבת אחרי שאת שמה את השמן. את קודם סופגת את המים בשיער עם מגבת ואחר כך מוסיפה את השמן ואת הג׳ל או קרם העיצוב. אחר כך את נותנת לשיער להתייבש.
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