Managing Curly Hair

Ever since I was little, my hair has been curly and thick.  I inherited the curly from my mom and the thick from my dad.  I was doubly "blessed" and absolutely HATED it when I was young.  It was always out of control and a ball of frizz.  My mom did the best she could to help me tame the wild.  God bless her!!  On top of this, my head is very tender....so every time she came at me with a brush I screamed bloody murder!  We should've bought stock in Johnson and Johnson tangle remover!  It took me YEARS to figure out how to take care of this "blessing" so that I didn't look like Diana Ross every time I fixed my hair....seriously it's that big when I brush it out dry....mercy.  I still have bad hair days, and live where it is humid all summer long, but these tips have helped keep it under control and looking nice--most of the time!

1.  Invest in GREAT products.  I cannot emphasize this enough...I have spent so much money on cheap-o products and not only do I waste money, but I end up spending more because I have to buy more and more.

2.  Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.  I LOVE Aussie products and use their Moist shampoo and conditioner. If you use a great conditioner, you don't need a leave-in conditioner.  It will over-condition your hair which leads to big-time frizz.

3.  Comb/Brush all hair when wet....and only when wet!!  Spray your hair with a detangler and let it set for about a minute before brushing...it helps!  If you are bold and want the Diana look, go ahead and brush out dry curls!  Otherwise, back away from the pick, brush, and comb.

4.  Repeat after me....Mousse is for VOLUME and Gel is for CONTROL.  I have dabbled with oh so many products here and have found that my all time favorite gel is Redken number 16.  Pricey but well worth it!  I have also been introduced to a new product called Curl Keeper.  I tried it and really liked it...still needed a touch of gel, but it is a great product with amazing results!!  You have to buy online since it is from Canada, but it is SO worth it!

5.  After washing, apply hair gel when it is wet and let it air dry until it feels a bit "crunchy."  Then blow dry with a diffuser.  If you can't wait until it is "crunchy," it will just be frizzier.  I flip my head over and blow dry so that all my hair gets dry.  Use your fingers here instead of a brush or comb!

6.  Find a hair stylist that knows how to cut curly hair.  Don't be afraid to ask if they feel comfortable with it.  Once I walked into the salon and the girl scheduled to cut my hair got a deer-in-the-headlights look all over her face...she was scared of messing up and wasn't confident.  My hair didn't look awful when I left, but it wasn't really what I wanted, either!

7.  Layers are your friend....long layers that is.  Unless you like the Q-Tip look, stick to long layers.  Also, if it's all one length, you will have the lampshade look.  I've had both and they are not attractive!!

8.  Don't be afraid of using hair accessories!  My hair is too thick for most clips and cute stuff, so I have had to make my own.  And using a non-slip grip on the clips has helped keep them in my thick hair.  My hair is "bigger" than most people's hair, so I am not at all afraid of using a larger accessory.  I love big flowers and headbands!

It is funny that neither one of my daughters ended up with my curly hair!  Sure enough, if I ever have a boy, he will have it!