The Curse of the Curly Hair

That’s what it is, right? It’s a curse, casted upon those who apparently don’t deserve to have easily manageable hair. Instead we’re stuck with a ball of tangled telephone cord resting on top of our head. And for some of us, the malediction only starts later in life. We’re born with beautiful, luscious hair, and we think we’re normal, until one day, following a surge of hormones or a bad haircut, our hair starts to twist around itself and before we know it, it’s too late; the curse of the curly hair has been cast, and there is no counter spell.

That’s what I used to think, at least. I was 10 years old when my hair started to change. I was born with brown, slightly wavy hair. Actually, scratch that. I didn’t have any hair when I was a baby. My hair only started to grow when I was a toddler, maybe because there was so much of it, it was all stuck beneath the surface. When it did start to grow, it was brown and wavy; nothing special. When I was 10, I went to France with my parents during the summer and one morning I had the surge to cut my hair short. My mom took me to a hair salon, and voila, I had short hair. The hairstylist had actually cut it a little shorter than what I originally wanted, but it was fine. When summer faded to fall, my hair started to grow long again, and I noticed that something had changed... For one, I seemed to have a lot more than prior to the haircut. Second, the color had changed and it was now a shade of auburn. And finally, it was curly.

For years, I had a love-hate relationship with my hair. I loved the color, but I hated the fact that it was so big and poofy. Since I didn’t really know how to manage it, I started to put it up in a bun or a ponytail every single day, only letting it down again before going to bed. I let it grow long because short hair made me look like a walking mushroom. My hair made me incredibly insecure; I thought boys would never be interested in me because of my crazy hair, and I felt like I was less pretty than all the girls with naturally straight hair. I don’t know how many times I wished I could go back to that morning in France, and skip the haircut. I felt cursed.

That tumultuous relationship with my hair went on until I graduated from high school. When I started cegep, I was in a different mindset and I started to see the benefits my head of curls had to offer. By that time, curly hair was coming back into fashion, and all of a sudden, the girls with straight hair I use to envy all wished they had curly hair. Slowly I started to notice that people were looking at my hair and complimenting it, including guys. I realized that my curls were allowing me to have a whole range of hairstyles, from sleek to wavy to curly. The fact that I had so much hair gave it volume so I could easily rock messy buns and perky ponytails. But before fully making peace with my hair, there were a few things I needed to master. First, I had to learn what curly hair in general loves and what it hates. Second, I had to figure out which hairstyles I could afford, and which I should definitely stay away from. And lastly, I had to try millions of hair products, in the hope of finding a few that worked.

Today, I love my hair and I feel like I’ve established a pretty good hair routine. I really wanted to share my tips on how to manage curly hair, along with the products that I love the most. I hope that some of you find this helpful and that it’ll help you embrace your curls.

Magic tricks:

• Do not “rub dry”.
  

When washing hair that has a tendency to curl, try to interfere as little as possible with the natural curling process. Often, weird, dry-looking curls are the result of everything we’ve put our hair through while it was trying to curl. That includes rubbing our hair dry with a towel. We see it all the time in movies, people coming out of the bathroom in a white robe, rubbing a towel against their head to dry their hair. First of all, that does nothing, aside from creating a tangled mess. Second, the friction from the towel will cause hair to frizz instead of curl. Instead, try to gently wring the water out with a cotton towel.

• Let air dry
  

If you can, try to let your hair air dry. It doesn’t take that long, and it is so beneficial for your hair. You’re not putting it under stress by blowing heat on it, and you’ll be skipping the tedious process of blow drying, which, even with a diffuser attachment, makes the hair frizzy and brittle.

• Avoid friction
  

Everything that could cause static or pull on the curls and create frizz should be avoided. That includes, as mentioned above, towels, but also elastics and pillow cases. Once your hair is up in a bun or a ponytail, try to keep it that way. If you constantly pull mercilessly on the elastic to fix your hair, it’ll pull on the curls and you’ll end up with a fluffy head of frizz. As for pillow cases, if you move a lot at night, I suggest investing in a satin pillow case that’ll protect the hair from breakage.

• Sleep with your hair in a braid
  

That is my biggest tip, right there. It saved me from so many bad hair days. It keeps the hair from getting tangled while you sleep, and it helps to control volume. If, like me, you tend to wake up with your hair so high it forms a shelf on top of your head, I strongly suggest sleeping with your hair tied in a low braid, or a rope braid. Additionally, it helps the hair curl during the night, even if it’s already dry, and you wake up with beautiful locks that barely need any tending to. Way to save time in the morning!

• Do not brush
  

Some people preach brushing your hair at least twice a day, usually in the morning and at night. But not if you have curly hair! The brush, whichever kind it is, will pull on the curls and leave frizz in its wake. Instead, try gently combing through the hair with your fingers. Occasionally, when brushing seems absolutely necessary, use a brush designed for curly hair right before a shampoo. That way, the water allows the hair to curl again, and the conditioner helps provide some moisture to fight the frizz.

• Make sure hair has enough moisture
  

Naturally curly hair tends to be very dry, weather you straighten it or keep it curly. The upside is that you never have to worry about greasy hair. The downside is that you do have to worry about frizz. I personally like to use a hair serum or oil, because I find that the smallest amount can add a ton of moisture to the hair. I usually apply some after I wash my hair, and whenever my hair looks dull. The more moisture, the happier the hair. And happy hair = beautiful curls.

• The longer, the better.
  

Or rather, the longer, the more easily manageable. I love bobs, and I truly envy those who have curly but not poofy hair, and who can rock this cute haircut. But for me, because I have so much hair and because it has so much volume, there’s no way I can cut my hair that short without looking like I just got dragged out of the circus. Curly hair needs the weight to keep the curls tamed.

• Keep it trimmed
  

This is a general hair tip, but it applies to curly hair as well. Make sure to trim your ends a couple times a year, about once a month or so. Getting rid of split ends and dead hair will help the rest of your hair thrive and be healthier, shinier, and curlier.

Counter spells
Whether you want to straighten your locks or rock your natural curls, these are products that help believe curly hair is a benediction and not a curse.

• Göt 2b Guardian Angel Gloss Finish Flat Iron Balm

This is my favorite heat protectant, which is a must if you want to straighten your hair. There was a period where I was using my flat iron every day, and my hair has stayed healthy and strong, thanks to this product. It protects from heat up to 425˚F, and also gives a little boost to your flat iron by helping straighten the hair.

• Nexxus Sleep Memory Straightening Smoothing Spray

This is what allows me to go from curly to sleek in minutes. I can’t even count how many bottles of this I’ve used. I spray some on my wet hair when I know I’ll want to straighten it later. It’s easy to be really sceptical about this (“Hum, a product that has a memory, I don’t know...”), but I promise it works. The more you use it, the easier it becomes to straighten your hair.

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• The Body Shop Coconut Oil Hair Shine

I have a ton of baby hair, especially on my temples. Using this every time I wash my hair helps tame the flyaways. I rub a little bit on my fingers and smooth on my baby hair when still wet. I’m not sure this is what this product is intended for, but it works wonders for me.

• L’Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Savior Mask

This just came out and I already love it. It provides moisture, helps control frizz and makes my hair super luscious. I also really like the packaging, how cute are these colors?

• Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Defining Lotion

There are a lot of similar lotions out there that claim to do just the same, but only this one truly works. I’ve been using it for years and it has never let me down. It’s meant to be use on wet hair, but I’m a rebel and I apply it on dry hair, when styling it in the morning. It helps define my curls, fight off humidity, and it stays that way all day. It also has silk protein, vitamin E and a nice lemon smell.

• Marc Anthony Grow Long Anti-breakage Oil

I find this to be the best oil out there. It’s not too heavy, not too thick, and it smells divine. I also appreciate that it comes in a spray bottle, which keeps you from struggling with a tiny pump when you have wet hands full of oil. I use this right after washing my hair, and on dry hair when needed. My hair is not naturally shinny, and this helps give it a little shine. It also deeply moisturizes it.

If you have curly hair, embrace it! It offers a world of possibility; it’s only a matter of finding out what works for your curls.

If you have any other tips or products that you like to use, please let me know in the comments below!

Happy hair styling!

Much love,
-TM-