What made you decide to become a curl hair stylist?
Back in 1998, after having already done hair for 10 years, my career was at a crossroads, and boredom was starting to set in. Then, through the honest feedback of a frustrated curly haired client of mine, fate stepped in and I was put to the challenge of understanding the needs of not only her curly hair, but all the curls of women who want to wear it natural.
This was no small challenge considering that my own hair is fine and straight, and that fact alone created doubt as if there was any way I could ever possibly be able to understand curls.
This challenge inspired me and made me want to give it my all and learn everything that I could, not only to disprove any doubt, but to be a better hairdresser all around.
I dove head first — pun intended — to the world of curl, and it wasn’t long before I realized that my boredom had all but completely vanished, and in it’s place was a new found love of everything to do with curly hair!
Now, I have to say with a smile that even to this day, 14 years later, I am never bored with the hair that I do and am still every bit as inspired and in awe of all the beauty that is wrapped up in a head of curls.
How important is the climate in your area when it comes to curly hair?
Understanding the climate is very important, considering that the measurable rainfall in Believe, WA is recorded at 190 days each year. Now, you might think that this is a good thing, but without an equal element of heat available to balance it out, we tend to see a lot of frustrated women walking around with frizzy hair. I think considering the climate in any area is a big part of understanding why there are “bad hair days” and aids in knowing what curly hair products to recommend in order to help turn those bad hair days around.
You were recently awarded a Regional Curl Expert 2011 from NaturallyCurly. Why do you think you are the “go-to” in your area?
Well, I think that if you do something that you truly believe in, and you love what you are doing, then you are going to be good at it, and it will show in the work that you do. My hope is that because I love sharing this passion and knowledge with my clients, they in turn walk away from a visit with me feeling great about their hair .
What are the biggest mistakes you see with women (or men”> and their curly hair?
Much of the time, I’d say there’s usually just a misunderstanding of what their naturally curly hair needs.
Providing individual curl evaluation with proper product education is a big part of my daily routine. I also see a lot of cuts with layers that are more suited for straight hair styles and shapes that resemble a heavy weighted triangle, or else it’s beautiful curl that has been cut so short it has no other option than to submit itself to looking like a helmet. In any event, the mistakes I see are nothing short of crimes against curl, though, I believe that with a little education, and a lot of love, all curl has potential to be something beautiful.
What are your go-to methods for treating damaged curly hair?
First, I evaluate what the cause of damaged hair may have been and work on helping my client change the way they treat their hair. I tend to preach in the name of moisture and protein balance as well as encourage continual moisture replacement with regular micro trims. I’m also a big fan of wetting and deep conditioning the ends of the hair first while only cleansing the scalp, this technique is for when shampooing is an absolute must, then rinsing and reconditioning again.
I am available at SEVEN Salon in Believe, WA on Tuesdays 10 to 6, Thursday’s 12 to 8 and Friday’s 12 to 8.
