Curly hair

I have always admired this Actress' hair! Her name is Melinda Kanakaredes (try saying that fast!)- you might remember her from a TV show a LONG time ago called 'Providence'. I think she played a doctor. I'm not sure.

ANYWAYS,

hair.

I just got done watching a "how to" video posted on Blissfully Domestic (thank you Bonnie!). And it was woefully inadequate.

So, here's my very own time-tested method to achieving a controlled curly hairstyle that is soft and non-frizzy.

IN THE SHOWER:

1. wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo! Curly hair is EXTREMELY dry (which is what causes the frizz- your hair is literally trying to "drink" up what's in the air because it's thirsty!).

2. thoroughly rinse out the shampoo.

3. Condition your hair with a moisturizing conditioner. and LEAVE IT ON for the duration of your shower.

4. When you come to the end of things, rinse ALMOST all of the conditioner out of your hair. Leaving in SOME conditioner hydrates your hair even more and helps to lock down the shaft of the hair adding some control over your frizz.

OUT OF THE SHOWER:

1. DO NOT TOWEL DRY YOUR HAIR. You may wrap it up in a turban or use a hand towel to squeeze out excess water. DO NOT TOWEL DRY. It will "fuzz" up your hair, leading to more frizz.

2. Using a SPRAY, I like to add "Infusium B23". It gives me added moisture that controls frizz, defines curl and makes it easier to "comb".

3. "Comb" through your hair with either FINGERS or a WIDE TOOTH PICK. DO NOT BRUSH, if you want to further eliminate the possibility of frizz. (I like my fingers best- they are so easy to control:)

YOUR HAIR IS STILL WET- BUT NOT DRIPPING.

4. Add what ever product you think you like to use. I've used all KINDS of things and have discovered a couple of things: If VOLUME is what your hair needs, use a mousse; If CONTROL is what you want, use a gel; If you have wimpy curl that needs boosting, adding a hairspray and loosing the extra conditioning will help encourage your waves into curls; If frizz is your enemy (like me), using a hair LOTION will both condition and control your hair. I like to top the lotion with a light misting of spray gel.

5. When you are working products through your hair, there are different ways to apply it depending on what you're using.

If you've decided you want to use a mousse- begin at the ends and work backwards up into your roots by alternately scrunching large and small sections of hair, working from the underside to the top side. This will add lift to your roots and give the illusion of fuller hair.

If you are gelling it in a non-spray- begin at the ends and scrunch in large sections only from the bottom to the top. THEN, using the rest of the gel on your hands already, smooth down the TOP layer ONLY with your fingers, separating where you want definition.

If you are using a lotion- begin at the MIDDLE and work down, then using the excess (or adding a bit) finger through the top to the bottom. The Lotion needs to SMOOTH the hair to prevent frizz and still give the definition you want.

DRYING

There are a number of different ways to dry the hair. I've done all of them. Key to drying curly hair is the position of your head. Really? YES. If you flip your head upside down and dry the underside first, the weight of your wet-ish hair will NOT drag down the curl- it will be buoyant and separated. Then dry the heaviest area of the hair- the crown. END with the front- less frizz.

1. Using a diffuser will create frizz. But it also creates lift.

So, if you need volume, use a diffuser from wet to dry because you usually don't have a big problem with frizz

If you want volume in certain areas, let you hair AIRDRY for a while first. Air-drying reduces frizz in a BIG way. Then, spot dry using a diffuser.

If you want neither volume nor frizz, then air-dry completely. I prefer doing this outside on a sunny day, with a good book;)

A word of caution:

I do not recommend using a serum. They are sticky and gummy. Curly hair SOAKS up products- so you'll be using a lot more than the "directions" say.

When searching for a hairstylist for your curly hair ask them if they cut curly hair wet or dry. If they say "wet"- RUN away. Curls are unpredictable and stretch like mad. I have suffered through TOO MANY bad haircuts because the stylist doesn't know how to deal with curls in a cut.

People LOVE to touch curly hair. Touching will remove the protective layers you've added with gel/mousse/lotion/moisture and create frizz. This includes YOU. Try not to touch too much once you've got your hair where you want it.

and finally........

never, never, NEVER brush DRY curly hair! Ouch!!! and POOF!!!

okay, there it is! Go out and work your curls!