NaturallyCurly: How did you become interested in working with curly hair?

Michelle: Having curly hair myself, I was never happy with the cuts I got from people. They didn’t understand my hair, and I would always end up with a shelf. It wouldn’t fall right. And everybody was always trying to blow dry my hair straight, and I liked my curls.

NaturallyCurly: How did you learn how to work with curls?

Michelle: I grew up in new Jersey, which is very multicultural. I worked with a lot of different hair textures. I’ve taken classes specializing in curly hair., and tweaked what I’ve learned to get the best results. Every head of hair is completely different. I prefer to cut hair wet to put balance in and get the general shape, and then I finish it up when it’s dry.

NaturallyCurly: Did you always love your curls?

Michelle: When I was growing up, I chopped my hair off because there were no good products and nobody knew how to cut my hair. I ended up cutting my own hair because I hated what other people did to my hair. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I started playing with the curl and realizing what kind of curl I really had, and I began experimenting with different products to see what worked best with my hair. I really started enjoying my curly hair.

NaturallyCurly: What are your favorite products for curly hair?

Michelle: It depends on the curl. I really love AG re:coil for coarse curls. I’ve been playing with the Kevin Murphy line for finer curls, and really like a product called Motion Lotion. I also really love Sebastian’s new Whipped Creme. It has a lot of conditioning agents, and it keeps the curls really smooth and separate without frizz.

NaturallyCurly: Do you have any tips to help curlygirls work with their hair?

Michelle: Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are so many products to try. Always apply products when your hair is soaking wet to prevent frizz. To get volume on top, scrunch your crown when your hair upside down. You might also want to try texturizing to get the weight out and let the curls take the shape they want to take.

NaturallyCurly: What is your philosophy behind cutting curly and kinky hair?

Michelle: Don’t fight it. What’s natural is beautiful. Embrace what you have!