For My Curly Girls

January 6, 2015

The Basics

Doesn’t really matter what your curl pattern looks like, the basic hair care for naturally curly hair is the same. The golden rule – MOISTURIZE!!!

Curly hair is more susceptible to drying out. In order to keep it from breaking and to aid in retaining elasticity (the springiness of your strands) you must keep your hair moisturized at all times. What you should use as a moisturizer will depend on your hair’s porosity (ie. your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture). You don’t want anything too heavy, which will weigh your hair down, but you also don’t want anything too light, which will dry out in no time. Another key to helping your hair retain moisture, are regular deep conditioning treatments.

Protein treatments also seem to be popular. While it is true that your hair is made up fibrous protein (keratin – which we’ll talk about in another post) you must be careful not to overdo it. Too many protein treatments, too often, can cause hair to get brittle.

What’s Your Natural Curl Pattern?

When people ask me about what I use in my hair (my personal hair regimen post coming soon!), I usually start by telling them what I use and try to explain that what works for me, may not work for them. Why? Because everyone’s hair is different. I also refer many people to this chart found on Naturallycurly.com.

We all have different curl patterns, and we don’t necessarily have only one curl type. Many will tell you that one part of their head has one pattern, and another pattern in another part of their head. And guess what, that’s okay!

Styling Naturally Curly Hair

When styling curly hair, there are so many options. The great thing about it, is the diversity and the possibilities! There’s always the option of wearing it straight, but even that gets boring after a while. So what can you do?!?

One of the most popular styles for curly girls is a wash-and-go. Wash your hair, use a styling agent to tame the curls, or add volume, prevent frizz, etc… and let it air-dry or use a diffuser to dry it.

Some of the tools of the trade include curlformers, perm rods, flexi-rods, etc… to create a variety of curl patters.

A Perm Rod Set – uses perm rods to create curls. This technique utilizes a setting agent such as setting lotion, mousse or gel to create firm, longer lasting curls. For more volume one can separate the curls to create bigger hair.

Other ways to create different curl patterns include a twist-out, braid-out, bantu knots, etc.

Bantu Knots – Are created also by using similar setting agents as in the perm rod set. However, this style is achieved by sectioning the hair and making knots as big or as small as you desire. Although you can wear your knots as is, many prefer to take them down. As a result, you can get nice, voluminous curls.

Twist-Out – A very popular style in the Naturalista community, this style is achieve by by applying a styling agent (leave-in conditioner, gel, curl creme, etc….) and proceed to twist their hair (usually a two-stranded twist as illustrated in the picture to the right). Once it is completely dry, you unravel the twists and separate them for volume.