Secrets of Natural Curls

 Secret #1: Careful With That Shampoo




Deva No-Po Cleanser

Shampooing can strip hair of its natural oils, which are actually great frizz fighters. To avoid frizz, lather up only a couple times a week with a gentle shampoo, preferably one that contains no sulfates which tends to dry your hair out. Sulfate-free shampoos are gentler on the hair and the scalp. STAY AWAY from getting shampoos at your local drug or grocery store since they aren't focused on your hair their products aren't enriched with rich moisturizers and nutrients.

Currently what’s extremely popular Deva Curl's No-Poo and Lo-Poo shampoos, created by curly-haired women for curly hair, are sulfate-free, full of organic moisturizers and created for ultimate frizz protection.



Deva Curl Sample Kit
(No-poo Shampoo, One Conditioner,
Defining Gel, & Moisture Lock Spray
Genesis Price: 18.99)

Secret #2: Don't shampoo every day, but do condition every time you are in the shower. Wash with cold water. Cold water helps making hair shinier, locks in moisture, and reduces frizz.

Secret #3: Deep Condition at Least Once a Week

If your hair is susceptible to dryness, frizz or dandruff, keep away from products with alcohol and treat hair to a deep conditioning hair mask at least once a week. Consider natural oils as well. Stylist Ebony Coles recommends add a 1-2 teaspoons Of Naturally HairGlaze oil in your conditioner and use a wide tooth comb and massage with your fingers into your scalp and hair. Then put a shower cap on and sleep in it, washing the oil out in the morning or set on hair for about 45 mins.

Secret #4: There are Right Ways & Wrong Ways to Use a Blow Dryer

The blow dryer can be a curly girl's nightmare if used improperly. To avoid the poof, let hair air dry as long as possible, then blow dry hair with a diffuser like this amazing one from Deva. Hold the blow dryer under hair, cupping (not squeezing) curls in your palm up folding the hair accordion-style as you dry hair.

Deva Curl Defining Gloves $15.99, Deva Frizz-Free Towel 9.99, DevaCurl Dryer & DevaFuser

If you don't use a diffuser, aim the blow dryer nozzle downward, in the direction hair grows.

Secret #5: The Right Kind of Blow Dryer

Invest in an ionic hair dryer, which dries hair much faster, therefore creating less damage to the hair's cuticles. You should use a diffuser when blow-drying curly hair. Stylists swear by Deva's hand-shaped diffuser which allows you to actually get into the curls to dry them.

 

 

Secret #6: Don't use too much product. With a styling milk, gel or mousse, put some into your palm and rub your palms together. The product will warm up as you rub and distribute better by not 'globbing' onto one spot. Most women apply product to the top of their heads which can weigh hair down. Coles suggests to apply product is to start in the back where hair is thicker. You can then work the product through the sides and at the top of the head. Add small amounts of product as you make your way through sections of hair.

You can comb the product through or massage it into hair with your fingers.

Secret #7: Detoxify your hair about once a month. Your hair is one of the most absorbent and dirtiest parts of your body. Think of the smog, pollution, germs from sneezes and coughs, smoke, etc. that you encounter every day. All of this can get trapped in your hair. If you smoke or someone around you does, your hair will trap and smell like smoke. So even if you choose to live with the frizz and not use anything in your hair, please use a detoxifier once in a while. It will help your hair. Try a good clarifier ask your stylist she should have one.

Secret #8: Layers are a Curly Girl's Best Friend Pick a trustworthy Stylist Ebony Cole's suggests aiming for long layers cut in to allow your curls to move. "You want the curls to be full of spring back" she says.

Because it's so important to "shape" curly hair, stylists often razor or scissor cut curly hair when it's dry. And there's definitely a technique to shaping curly hair, says Cole's. Also your stylist is pulling too much on your hair; simply ask them to please pull less on the curls while cutting can make hair shorter than desired length.  If you wear your hair curly and let it air dry, Cole's recommends you inform your stylist so he or she can keep the layers on top of the head longer. Why? Curly hair dries tighter than it would if you blow dry it daily using a diffuser or drying it straight.

Secret #9: Don't Throw Out Your Brush It's actually a myth that you can't brush curly hair. While some women swear off even a comb, preferring finger-combing (I know of one woman who swears she's never, ever combed or brushed her hair). Brushing hair for 2 minutes a night helps distribute natural oils from scalp to hair, making it "smoother, more manageable,  less frizzy, softer, less tangles and shinier."

Yes, your hair will likely pouf up into a mass of curls after brushing, but this is OK. Simply wait until just before bed to brush and rinse hair in the morning. The benefits are worth it. "Whether you are plagued by frizz, dryness, split ends or even hair thinning, nightly brushing with a natural-bristle brush will help to alleviate if not completely cure the condition.

 

Secret #10: Keep Extensions an Option

It's OK to add some extension for added fullness and length. Whether you want it while your in process of growing it longer or weather condition issues. Just don't for get to take proper care of hair in between weave installations.

(pics above: before and after weave installation  @ Genesis Salon 336-722-2233)
*All products sold at Genesis Salon 336-722-2233

Curly Hair is Sexy Hair, So Embrace Those Curls…stay tuned to “Coloring Your Curly Locks”