Hello Fellow Curly Q,
A few weeks ago, I asked you on my Instagram Stories if you would be interested in me sharing how I maintain my curly hair, both styled and natural. Well, you’ve spoken and said YES so here we are. If you are not entirely familiar, I have extreme naturally curly hair. For a long time, my entire childhood pretty much, I had a burning hatred for my natural hair. I wanted nothing more than to have naturally straight hair. I would see those girls in school and go home crying about how much I wanted to be like them. I specifically remember my mom promising me that one day I’d be so thankful for the hair God gave me. Guess what, she was right. Now, years later, I can truly say that I absolutely love the versatility of my curly hair. I can wear it curly, wear it straight, wear it natural or style it. It’s strong, it’s thick and for all of those reasons I’ve learned to love my hair. It did take time though to truly learn how to handle and maintain my curls. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars and have gone through countless products to finally, in my 23rd year of life, find the exact routine that works for me. With that, I’d love to answer some frequently asked questions I get regarding my hair. If you have any other questions for me or have found products that work for your curly hair, please leave a comment below or comment on my latest Instagram post!
Is your hair naturally curly or naturally wavy?
If you ask me this question, it means you are in the same boat as me and know that there is a difference. To be honest, I kind of have a combination of both. After years of heat damage, the top layer of my hair has turned from extreme curls to a wavier style when it air dries. The lower half of my hair though is still to this day extremely curly, so much so that some parts form ringlets.
What do you do to your hair when you wear it naturally curly?
When I’m wearing it naturally curly, I obviously start my routine in the shower. I will do a light shampoo and then a little heavier on the conditioner. After applying conditioner, I let it sit in my hair longer, so it really soaks in the moisture. I have found that this helps with frizziness. Once I get out of the shower, I will throw my hair up in a towel and let it dry for a few minutes. The important callout to note is that I DO NOT brush my hair when wearing it natural. I take it out of the towel and begin putting in my product. I use this Global Keratin Serum and this Silk Essentials Olive Spray. Then, I run my fingers through my hair to get any big knots out, take my hands and cup my hair upwards to form wet curls (almost like when you scrunched your hair in 5th grade) and let it completely air dry. That’s it!
How is the process different when you style your curls?
I either style my curls after the shower or I will follow pretty much the same process on day 2 or day 3 hair. After getting out of the shower I completely towel dry my hair as much as possible. I only use a Conair Paddle Brush to brush my hair because it’s more gentle, it has more surface area and it evenly distributes my hair through the brushing motions. I use the same Global Keratin and Silk Essentials as above and then brush out my whole head. I use this Conair Hair Dryer with my paddle brush to dry my hair as straight as possible. After it is fully dry, I use this Paul Mitchell Hot Off The Press Heat Protectant Spray and mist every layer of my hair. To most people’s surprise, I actually don’t curl with a curling iron. I use this Remington Straightener. The rounded edges help guide the curls perfectly as you work each section to form the curls. I work my way through each layer of hair starting at the bottom (about four layers) sectioning each off when I have it completely curled. When my entire head is curled, I wait about 5 minutes for it to cool. Curls will hold in the shape that they cool, so this makes your curls last longer. When the 5 minutes are up, I use my paddle brush and lightly brush through my whole head loosening the curls. Nothing is worse than not brushing through your curls so make sure to do this step!!! Once it’s in a good place, I use this Got2B Glued Hair Spray to hold the style in place. Let me know if you’d like a tutorial on how I do this as I know it’s hard to picture in text form!
What do you tell your stylist when you get your hair colored?
I always get a blonde balayage! This is what I have found works for me because I am naturally brunette but LOVE being a blonde. I ask for icy/ashy blonde with dimension and a shadow root. This allows my natural hair to grow out at my root while blending in nicely to the heavier blonde at the bottom. Here’s a good article from Elle all about balayages.
What shampoo and conditioner do you use?
I use this Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo and Conditioner. It is so important if you are blonde, but not naturally blonde, to use a shampoo that does not have sulfates and that specifically calls out color protection. This will keep the color intact longer and will keep it from turning a crazy color. To keep the brassiness out of my hair, or to keep it a crisp blonde, I use this Drybar Blonde Ale Purple Shampoo 2-3 times a week in the shower. After I lather my hair with it, I will leave it in for a few minutes while I shave or wash my body before washing it out so it has time to soak in and do its thing. Don’t leave it on too long though or it will turn your hair purple!
What are your favorite hair products at the moment?
I am LOVING the Olaplex line right now!! It has completely transformed my hair. I will say it isn’t cheap BUT it has always been my philosophy to invest in your hair. I use Olaplex 3-7. 3 Hair Protector is the mask that I use from time to time to help bind and strengthen my split ends. 4 Bond Maintenance is the Shampoo from the line. 5 Bond Maintenance is the Conditioner from the line. Then, after I get out of the shower, I mix together 6 and 7 (Bond Smoother and Bonding Oil) to make the perfect cocktail to work through my hair mid-length to the ends and not on my scalp to keep my hair from feeling greasy. My hair feels both stronger and healthier when I use Olaplex. My stylist introduced me to the line as she uses it every time I get my hair colored, and thank goodness she did!
How often do you wash your hair?
If I wear my hair naturally curly, I usually have to wash my hair the next day. If I style it, I can go 3, maybe even 4, days between washes. I think it’s imperative not to wash your hair every day. The chemicals used in hair products strip away the nutrients and make your hair brittle and you are more prone to split ends. It is a training process though. Work to train your hair to go a few days between washes. You will love it so much when you get there!
A few other quick things to note: I get my hair colored about every 4 or 5 weeks, I couldn’t tell you the last time I got it cut (I HATE hair cuts, I cry every time), I usually don’t style it for work during the week wearing it naturally curly but only style it over the weekends, my hair takes foreverrrrrrr to grow, it may not look like it but it is THICK and I love using this Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast at my roots as either a dry shampoo for days old hair or to tease for extra volume. I hope this was informative and helpful! Please let me know your thoughts below!
Sincerely,
