Many people are under the assumption that curly hair must be cut in a layered style, which is not necessarily true. A great low-maintenance curly hair style for hair that it not extremely thick (or super curly) is a long, blunt cut. The weight of the hair will relax the curl a little more and it is an easy wash-and-go look. If your hair is very thick and you want to wear it long, then a layered style would be more suitable, in order to control the volume.
Keep in mind that the shorter the hair, the curlier the look will be due to the loss of weight which would pull and relax the curl. A shorter cut will also require more frequent trimmings to keep the shape – something to consider if your hair grows fast. A good stylist is very important for those choosing a short style!
A word of caution – never let anyone use thinning shears or razors on your curly hair as this can be very damaging to the fragile ends. Proper layering will take care of the bulkiness you get with really thick hair. Also keep in mind the ‘shrinkage factor’ of curly hair when choosing a style. Your hair could actually be up to one third longer when it is wet, than when it is dry.
When selecting a hair style, consult with a professional stylist who has real experience with curly hair. I have found the best luck with stylists who have the same type of hair, although that can be a rare find. Make sure that you tell them how much time you have to deal with your hair each day and how much work you want to put into your look. If you want a wash-and-wear look then let it be known up front. A good cut and proper maintenance are the keys to controlling beautiful curly hair styles.
Straightening curly hair is a real challenge! After some nightmares (and a few chemical burns) it is something that I recommend be done by only by a professional who specializes in this type of service. A bad straightening job can take months to grow out – if it doesn’t break off first!
If you are going for the pin straight look, be sure that is what you really want. Often times making such a drastic change opens up a whole new set of problems. Your styling choices may be limited and if you want any bit of curl later on, it will take more work on your part. Weather changes can also come as a surprise (from personal experience) – humid weather that used to make those curly hair styles frizzy, could suddenly make you go flat.
You may want to try just relaxing the curl first. When you have your hair relaxed, there will still be some curl left. You can then achieve straight look when you want using several methods. One way I have done it is to work some heat straightening gel through the hair and blow dry it straight, starting in small sections at the back, and working towards the front, until it is all straight. Another way, if you don’t care for blow drying and you have some time, is to let it air dry and then work a heat styling product recommended for use with ceramic flat irons through your hair and work in sections from the back of your head forward. With relaxing you get the best of both worlds – the straight look when you want it and the curly hair style when you don’t. It also tends to be less expensive than straightening. If you choose not to have the roots touched up, the new growth will blend in easier than with totally straight hair.
Chemical straightening can range between $50 and $100, or more depending on where you live. Even more expensive is the popular Japanese straightening system which starts at around $300 and can go as high as $1000 or more depending on the length of your hair. Japanese hair straightening must be done by a qualified stylist as this is a very specialized service.
Curly hair tends to be dry, so conditioning is a must – every time you wash. As for washing, try not to do it every day. If you shower everyday and cannot avoid getting your hair wet, then try using a very gentle shampoo every other day and use a hydrating conditioner everyday, yes, even when you do not shampoo.
Use a wide tooth comb as much as possible, since brushes can be very damaging to the ends, especially when you encounter tangles.
If it is really curly and you live in humid conditions, a leave-in conditioning treatment and smoothing gel may be good ideas.
If you have the time and you can, let your hair dry naturally. Naturally, if it is the dead of winter and freezing outside you might need to use the blow dryer – if you do, using a diffuser will keep your curls from getting beat up from the force of the dryer’s air.
You can revive your curly hair styles at any time by spritzing the curls lightly with water or any of the shine sprays on the market designed for curly hair.
Growing up with naturally curly hair has been a mixed blessing.
When curly hair styles were “in” I was a happy girl, but when dead-straight hair was the trend, I was just plain miserable. Every attempt at a straight hairdo ended up a frizzy mess!
Eventually I learned to quit fighting it and go with the flow – or go with the curls - and became an expert at taming frizzy locks. You will find many tips here about managing curly hair, things you should do and things you definitely should not do if you love your hair.
Over the years, your hair texture changes, and so does the way it needs to be treated. Approximately every seven years (or so I have been told) this occurs, which makes sense to me now after watching my daughter who was blessed with fine curly locks as a baby that turned to a wiry, unmanageable mess as a teen and is now a beautiful head of relaxed, red, spiral locks.
Naturally curly hair can be a challenge, because the tightness of the curl can vary in different areas. In many instances, the curl is tighter around the temples and hair line, than it is in the back. This is very important information for your stylist, by the way.
When you make your hair curly, whether by perm, hot rollers, or a curling iron, the curl is even all over and much easier to control the look you want.
