This picture is about a year after I went back to curly, it was one of this first times I looked in the mirror and thought
"hey, I like my curls"
You would not know it from my profile picture which was taken several years ago (to the right) that I have naturally curly hair. In high school I fought with my curly hair for years and by college I gave up an began straitening my hair, convinced that be attractive I needed sleek straight hair. Now this worked okay for a while as I lived in Utah which enjoys next to no humidity so straight hair was a possibility, after moving to DC I continued to straiten my hair for three years until June 29, 2012 when the region was hit by a derecho (aka - a very bad storm) and we lost power, leaving me without the ability to use my flat iron. Truth be told I was considering going back to curly before the storm but needed the push and low and behold with the right products and stylist I found that I could actually love my curly hair and I have not straighten it since the storm.
Going curly again was very scary for me, we all have that one thing about our physical appearance that we are very self-conscious about (if you claim you don't, your lying) and well for me that would be my hair! To say I hated my curly hair in high school would be a huge understatement and now I'm convinced that had I known what I know now and had good curly hair products existed back then my self-confidence with regard to my appearance would have been greatly improved in high school!
So with that said I wanted to share with you which curly hair products and tips/tricks have worked for me, ultimately allowing me to love my curly hair (well most days that is)! I do this because had someone else not shared there tips and tricks with me I would still be fighting with my hair to this day.
First, It is important to remember that all curly hair is different and if you have curly or wavy hair it is important to understand your curl pattern, amongst other factors and the Curly Girl Handbook and this website are a great place to start.
Curly Hair Tips that Work for Me:
1. Do not dry your hair with a towel - use an old t-shirt, pillow case, etc. Towels are to harsh on curly hair and case damage, breakage, and frizz - making this change alone made a huge improvement in my hair.
2. Find a stylist that knows how to cut curly hair, if they also have curly hair the better - if you walk in to an appointment and the person cutting your hair has natural stick straight hair I would be worried! I have found that with stylists you pay for what you get, and at this point I now have no problem shelling out $100 plus for a hair cut (yes I must save and budget for this) but I love my stylist, and you guessed it she has curly hair.
3. How do you find a stylist that is great with curly hair? You ask strangers with curly hair that you think have a great hair cut/style who their stylist is! I assure you this is not weird for curly girls I have been asked many times who cuts my hair, this is also how I found my current stylist.
4. Give it time! If you have been straightening your hair for years it may take some time for your hair to cooperate, I'm talking months! I also think it is important to not straighten your hair during this transition time, it gets confused.
5. You will still have bad hair days. There are days when I LOVE my hair, the curls all lay correctly there is no frizz, the hair stars have aligned! AND then there are days when my hair is out of control, it looks crazy and the best I can do it put it in a ponytail and get over it.
6. Find and use good products designed for curly hair, and yes they are worth the money. Furthermore, if a product does not work for you keep trying others, there are amazing products now for curly hair.
7. Do not brush or comb your hair, ever! Doing so causes damage and frizz
Products I Use:
1. Deva Curl No-Poo This is a cream shampoo that does not lather at all, it takes some getting use to. After wetting down my hair in the shower I use a generous amount of the No-Poo focusing on my scalp and then using my fingers to comb through my hair and then I rise it out.
2. Deva Curl One Condition This is a creamy conditioner which is on the thicker side. I use about a palm full and work it into my hair while in the shower and then use my fingers to part my hair and scrunch to remind my curls what to do. I do not wash the conditioner out! This is because I have very dry hair so if your hair is on the oilier side you may want to rise out the conditioner and then apply a small amount when you get out of the shower.
**From there I get out of the shower and use a pillow case/t-shirt to remove water from my hair. I do this my flipping my head over and scrunching my hair with the pillow case for a few minutes.
3. Deva Curl Angel Light Hold Defining Gel This is great gel but it is a light hold, Deva Curl makes several different gels so depending on your hair you might what something stronger. I scrunch the gel into my hair after I use the pillow case to scrunch out the water, using a large palm full.
**From here I either let my hair air dry (if its summer and my hair is on the shorter side) or I blow it dry using a diffuser.
4. Deva Curl Set it Free This is the best stuff ever!! After your hair is dry this great cream gets rid of that crunchy gel feel leaving your curls soft and hydrated. I spray it into my hand and then scrunch it into my hair.
5. L'Oreal Elnett Extra Strong Hold - Unscented I use a little bit of this hair spray to set things at the end or when I put my hair up in a ponytail.
If you want to get Deva Curl products a try this set is a great place to start: Deva Curl Trial Set
There is also a curly hair product line called Miss Jessie's that you can pick up at Target or Amazon - I have never tried these products so I can't speak to their quality or effectiveness.
