Q: I am male and I have curly hair. All my life I have hated my hair with a passion. When dry it represents candy floss and when wet looks curly. But in the past two years or so I have been given the confidence, by my good lady, to try and embrace the curls. The stylist I attend has trimmed the back and sides without making me look regimental and left the top around 3/4 to 1′ long then thinning through. This allows me to comb from front to back with an afro comb training my hair to a style or roughing my fingers through and leaving that just out of bed look. (Both require a heavy styling product”> My main question is, what products could I use to make my hair represent hair when dry rather than candy floss. I do wash and condition my hair every day and try to rinse out any products I may have applied forstyling purposes before bed to allow my floss to breath.
Ouidad: I commend you on the time and thought that you have put into your hair. I’m going to take you from A to Z with a regimen to care for your hair and make your life easier.

You should only shampoo your hair every 2 to 3 days. The days you don’t shampoo use water soluble products so you can manage your hair better. Heavy products have the tendency to dehydrate the hair causing it to dry and frizz.I hope you are using a conditioner when shampooing your hair, if you aren’t, do so, and leave a bit of it in your hair for manageability. Remember I said not to shampoo everyday; the days you don’t shampoo use the spray in conditioner to help you recap your curls and to have control.A light styling lotion is a must. Curly hair needs aid, but it doesn’t have to be heavy. Remember it will dehydrate your hair if it’s heavy. Distribution is very important and key for control. Apply it in sections. Don’t glob it in your hand and run your fingers through your hair, you are fanning your curls out; apply it in sections for control.When your hair is dry, and it’s best to dry it naturally, then finish off with a finishing pomade, again very light. If you follow these steps your life with your hair will be easier, and think about deep conditioning your hair once a month. You see, if your hair has its own weight from the inside you don’t have to weigh is down from the outside. I’m a stickler about Deep Treatment. Good Luck.

Q: I’m baffled! My hair is naturally wavy. Occasionally after a shower I’ll end up with this REALLY curly hair. It’s lovely — Shirley-Temple springy, full, just really CURLY! But even though I always use the same shampoo, never blow dry my hair, and always do the same things (I think”> sometimes it curls like crazy and sometimes it doesn’t. I can’t figure it out! What am I occasionally doing right and how can I make it happen every time?? If anybody can help me solve the mystery, it’s you.Thanks!!! Greta from NY
Ouidad: Greta, are you ready? It’s easy… you see, when curly hair is at its optimum condition, the hair will perform the best. When it lacks in performance it needs to be fed! (Deep Treatment”> The days that your hair is lovely, Shirley Temple springy, it’s not as dry and the moisture in the air the days its not performing, the air is dry and your hair is not at its optimum condition so it can’t perform. The key is to always feed it and it will always perform for you. Challenge me!
Q: Hi Ouidad, I have never had a problem with frizz until the last two months when the weather got extremely cold and very dry. Now, no matter what products I use, I cannot get the canopy of my hair to lie down. The individual hairs are rebelling and won’t clump together into a curl. I’ve been using a ton of conditioner and deep treatments thinking my hair was crying out for moisture. It made no difference except that my hair got much softer. I clarify once/twice a week even though the styling products I use don’t really build up, so I’m at a total loss.
Ouidad: You are doing everything right when the hair is dry and fly away it means the molecular layer is empty causing the hair to be feather light in weight and causing to lift into a canopy, so my recommendation would be to feed it. You see, most of the problems, if there are problems with curly hair, is that being in a corkscrew shape the outer layer (cuticle layer”>, which is the protective layer of the hair, can’t stay smooth. This causes the molecular layer, which is both your color and condition layer, to escape. It’s the nature of our hair, but since you are conditioning, the only thing I could think of is the conditioners that you are using are heavy on moisture and not balanced with enough proteins to control your hair. If that’s the case, try to use conditioners that are balanced with moisture, proteins, and amino acids. And I think, and know, you’ll see a great deal of results. Email me on my site and let me know of your results.
Q: I have thick, wavy/curly hair, and lots of it. When I lived in the Middle East, I got tired of it’s dryness and out-of-control tendencies……and buzzed it all off! I kept it that way for years but now that I’m married and have a new baby I’m ready to embrace my curls and take care of them again. So I’ve grown my hair out to a whopping 2 inches, and it’s just standing vertically and makes me look like I have helmet-head. What would you recommend I do while it’s growing out, and how do I prevent helmet-head? Thank you! Heide
Ouidad: Heide, I can relate to that!!! If the strength of the hair and curl is strong, you will need length to control it. But you have to start somewhere. I find that a little slicing at the beginning of the bend of your curl will help your hair to puzzle together and have some control and with some styling aid you should do fine. The slicing and carving technique is perfect in these situation. Try to explain to your stylist to puzzle your hair together rather than cutting it blunt, or check on my site to find a Ouidad affiliate salon near you.
Q: I think it’s my hormones, but ever since I turned 28, my hair has gone two ways. First, the hair on the top of my head is straight, straight, straight. Second, the hair below the crown is very curly. I’d love those bottom curls to go to the top but it’s not happening. My hair is thick, thick, thick. Most hairdressers say this, ‘Wow, you’ve got the thickest hair I’ve ever seen.’ To illlustrate, if I put it into a ponytail, it’s about a half dollar in diameter. I currently have a shoulder length layer cut and would like the curls to come on top and have been thinking about getting a permanant wave. Is this advised??? I just want some consistancy. Thank you.
Ouidad: A pony tail that is a half a dollar in diameter, you’re lucky!! It’s natural for a curly head of hair to have up to three to four different textures from straight, wavy to tight. I think your age of 28 is coincidental, because they do say that your body chemistry can change every 7 years. So go figure! Now in my salon, we do a great deal of spot perming to match the curl pattern. The only thing I would recommend is that when you get it done, have your stylist select several sizes of perm rods, so you may have a natural look. Don’t have them select the size they think the rest of your hair is and match it. I’ve never seen a natural looking perm that way. You have to have the same variety as in naturally curly hair. Variety is the spice of life.