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Q: How long can cones sit on your hair before creating a mess?
A: There are a lot of products on the market that contain silicones and some of them are more breathable than the others. A heavy silicone is NOT breathable and can easily suffocate and damage your hair in 6 months. Since curly hair is like a sponge that sucks everything in, the proper hair care maintenance includes:
- Shampoo your hair every 2-3 days to remove buildup
- Use a light conditioner like Curlisto Botanical Rinse which can be used everyday and will not over condition your hair.
- Use a deep conditioner like the Deep Therapy Masque at least once every other week. This will keep your hair hydrated and looking great.
If you follow this easy maintenance, you will have healthy hair.
Q: How can you tell if your hair is protein sensitive?
A: Protein based products complete the keratin in our hair. It is important that you find the right product that will benefit the health of your hair. Heavy protein products can cause your hair to feel hard and almost course. When choosing the right moisturizing protein, you should look for structurizing proteins like corn, rice, soy and wheat proteins. Products with these proteins can be used at least 2-3 times a week to strengthen and condition your hair.
Q: My hair loves warm weather. It has a lot more volume and curl when the weather is warm. I get flat top and less curl when the weather is colder…the waves/curls are really defined, shiny, soft and frizz-free…everything I want them to be except for lack of volume and less curl!
I know the cold weather is doing this. The temperatures have been rocking back and forth the past few weeks. First it got cold. The curl loosened and the volume was reduced. It got warm again, and I had a good hair day–it was warm for a few days. Then it got cold again, and my hair is flat: warm one more time for a few days, and now it got cold and my hair is flat.
Please help me!
A: Every curl is different and they also react differently to different climates. Understanding your curl will help you have beautiful styles no matter what season we’re in. To do this, it is important that you choose the right styling products for the weather. If cold weather causes hair to look flat then you have to use lighter ingredients to style your hair. Choose the right products for your hair texture and how your hair reacts to the climate and remember when it comes to curly hair; it is all about the styling. You just have to adjust the formula of your styling to make your curls look the way you want them to.
Q: I am trying desperately to promote hair growth…any suggestions?
A: The most important thing is to feed your scalp. Stay away from oils and feed your hair with products that complete keratin such as the Deep Therapy Masque on a weekly basis. Consult with your doctor and take 3,000 – 5,000 mg of Biotin.
I traveled to my home island of Cyprus and Athens this summer. I would like to share some amazing pictures of ancient Gods, goddesses and royalty. These images will show you that in ancient Greece, curly hair was not only embraced, but celebrated.
The image of beauty today has become distorted. Women of all ages perform harsh chemical services to have the straight hair they see on television instead of embracing their natural texture.
But that wasn’t always the case. Curly hair was and still is considered beautiful in Greek culture. While visiting the Acropolis Museum which recently opened in Athens, the statues whispered, “Look at my beautiful Curls.” The architects depiction of treasured icons showcased the fact that curls are divine.
The curly hair was always pulled back elegantly so that the sculptures look elegant and sophisticated.
I would love to show you that curly hair is beautiful, sexy and sophisticated. The key is knowledge. Knowing how to maintain your curls can keep them looking beautiful.
I grew up in a culture where 99 percent of the population has curly hair. I learned how to care for and perfect the art of curly hair. As a young hairdresser, growing up with a large curly haired clientele was a blessing. I used this knowledge of curly hair to perfect my own cutting and styling techniques. I have become an educator for salon professionals and curly hair women around the globe.
If the ancient goddess of Greece wore their hair naturally and beautifully curly, so can you. For parents with curly hair children it is important that you show them how the gods and goddesses embraced their curly hair. Show them that royalty had curly hair.
Teach your kids to love their curly hair. And remember that their feelings about their hair all start with you.
Celebrity Kenneth Darrell shares this great article with us—enjoy!
Fig. 1
Perhaps, of all the questions asked…I’m asked about the most important aspect of determining what hairstyle is the right fit. The answer: There are none more important than the shape of your face!
A terrific hair design will only work if it’s a good match to your face shape. So, you might ask, “how do I figure out what my shape my face is?”
Most everyone thinks their face shape is round. I’ve heard it a thousand times, “my face is kind of fat and round.” While this is a natural tendency to think your features are round, there are actually six basic face shapes: oval, rectangle, round, square, heart, and triangle. Take a look at the figure 1. What shape is your face in?
Once you determine what shape your face is, the goal then becomes to create a pleasing shape to hide or soften flaws. It’s really easier than it sounds! The most versatile shape is the oval. Even if your face is not oval, this should be your goal to try to create the “appearance.” (No matter which shape you’re in!”> …And you can do this by balancing your shape with the right hair design and style.
There are multiple factors that go into choosing a great hairstyle such as hair texture, density and lifestyle. These are great things to talk about with your stylist, but the shape of face is most relative.
Now, here’s a very cool trick. To help you determine your shape pull all your hair back away from your face, take an eye liner pencil and draw the outline of your face in a mirror. This is a technique that I have shared with my clients for years.
Now that you know your shape, let’s talk about which style works best for you!
Oval
(Such as Jessica Alba & Beyonce Knowles”>Well, you’re in luck! This shape will work great with just about any style. It’s what we call the “perfect” shape. The eyes, nose and lips are in proportion with each other. So all lengths will be great and, remember, if you have this shape you can sweep your hair back and fully expose your face.
Rectangle
(Such as Sandra Bullock & Lucy Liu”>Our goal with this shape, as with all shapes, is balance. Medium to short styles work best. This elongated shape will balance out with a style that creates width. Bangs will also shorten your features, bringing you closer to an oval shape.
Round
(Such as Cameron Diaz & Kate Winslet”>This face shape is complimented by a hairstyle that has height at the crown. For this shape, pick a style that stays below chin length; This will help to lengthen the appearance of your shape. An off-center or side part is best. Avoid parting the hair down the middle or styles with bangs. These tend to shorten the face rather than lengthening it…and that’s our goal.
Square
(Such as Demi Moore & Gwyneth Paltrow”>With this shape, you will want to select styles that frame the face, softening the square corners of the shape. A design with a little height at the top is also helpful. Texture plays a big part in this shape as well. A square shape softens when combined with hair that has some curl. So, break out the rollers and curling irons!
Heart
(Such as Scarlett Johansson & Reese Witherspoon”>If you have a heart-shaped face, then a chin-length design is your best choice. Choosing this length will broaden your appearance at the chin where it is needed. I love bangs on this shape as well and bangs are a “must” if your heart shape is at all exaggerated. With this shape, minimize or eliminate height in the top of your style.
Triangle
(Such as Kathy Ireland & Victoria Beckham”>This shape will appear most balanced with designs that are short and compliment the temple area. Avoid styles that stop at chin length, (ex. the bob”>. If you insist on wearing a short do, keep one side tucked behind the ear. Shoot for a design with some layering to create a bit of volume through the upper areas of the style.
No matter what shape your face is in, remember the most important aspect of any hair design is “owning it.” Project confidence and energy, and your hair design will come alive. Now that you understand your face shape, use that knowledge to bring out the Hellmann’s–
Bring out YOUR best!
My hair regimen: shower every other day, put conditioner in for about 5-10 minutes, wash out conditioner, don’t comb or brush. In the morning after a shower, it looks okay for the morning, but it gets steadily harder to handle throughout the day. This regimen is from the “Curly Girl” book my hair stylist recommended.
My hairstylist has straight, thin hair, and has butchered my hair cut a few times, but she’s starting to get the hang of it…sort of…so I don’t want to switch to someone who has absolutely no idea what my hair’s like and tries to cut it wet or something. In short, I’m afraid to get my hair cut, and I’m getting some terrible split ends. Do you have any suggestions for my hairstylist or me about how to cut my hair, how to keep it from trapezoid-ing, how to prevent split ends and frizz, or anything you think would be helpful!
Christo: It is normal for your hair to change texture during your middle school years because that is when you reach puberty. During puberty your body’s hormones change, affecting the texture of your hair. There is nothing you can do to change your hormones and their effects on your hair texture, but you can learn how to work with your new hair; it is a challenge but it is possible. Let me give you the fundamentals of curly hair, which is keeping your hair healthy.
As far as cutting curly hair, there is no one technique that can be used. Every curl has its own personality — no one curl is like another. Therefore, you have to take many things into consideration before cutting curly hair. The stylist must look at and identify the texture of your hair as well as how you like to style your hair so that you can have a cut that fits your needs. For the best cut, the stylist has to work on wet hair. Cutting dry hair never works and I think that it’s the cause of the trapezoid affect that you now have. You are not the first person to have the trapezoid shape. In order to correct your haircut, I first suggest that you make sure your hair is healthy and that you find a hairstylist who already knows how to work with curly hair. In order to find a good stylist, ask them if they know how to treat and manage curly hair. If they explain some of the things I have listed for you, they know a good deal about working with curly hair and will probably be a good stylist for you. If they suggest cutting your hair dry, then run out the door. You should book a free consultation so that you can ask follow up questions and get a good feel of the stylist. You might be scared to try a different stylist but I don’t suggest you keep going through trial and error with your current one. After you go to a few free consultations and see that you have better options you should try someone new who can fix your haircut so that you don’t have the trapezoid affect.
Healthy hair equals great-looking styles. Apparently the hair regimen you mentioned to me is not working for you. Here is a successful formula that you should try to prevent split ends and frizz.
- You should shampoo your hair 2 times a week to remove build up and keep it from suffocating the hair shaft and damaging your hair.
- Conditioner should be used every time you wet your hair. After applying the conditioner to your hair in the shower, you should detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb (you should never use a brush on curly hair”> so that it is applied evenly throughout and so that your hair will be easier to style after you rinse it out.
- Use a deep treatment like the Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque once a week in order to moisturize and repair damaged hair.
- Use the right styling products. You have to treat the 2a part of your curls with products that can benefit that texture. With your hair, you should use a light lotion, such as Curlisto’s Structura Lotion. The texture on the top part of your hair (3a and 3b”> are tighter and the lotion by itself will not be strong enough. Therefore, you should mix the Structura Lotion with Control II Gel in order to get structured curls.
Life is about balance and I believe you should find a way to manage your hair by trying different ways and follow the right advice. Always remember your hair is the #1 thing in your wardrobe. You should feel free to style your hair any way you feel comfortable- either curly or straight. By doing that you will be more confident and happier with your look, and complete the puzzle of your whole image.
Q: I have naturally curly hair and can always remember the salons spending hours on my hair blowing it straight, I have been blessed with hair that can curl but also hold a flip up curl without hair spray.I have thick wavy/curly hair, I do try to let my hair air dry but do have to put products in my hair or it will go frizzy. I have read that mousse is a no no, that spray on gel is better, because mousse dry’s out your hair, is this true? I have let my hair grow long it is about in the middle of my shoulder blades. All my aunts and uncles on my father’s side have thick wavy hair. Can you please tell me what styling products would benefit me, as I do not want to dry out my hair but want to preserve my wavy/curly hair.
Christo: You are fortunate to have a hair texture that can be easily worn both curly and straight. There are many mousses on the market that are not designed for wavy to curly hair so be careful. If you use the right mousse, I don’t believe that it will dry out your hair. For your thick texture, here are my recommendations:
Use Curlisto Structura Lotion which has panthenol, amino acids and soy protein ingredients that moisturizes, conditions and makes your hair more manageable. Mix a quarter amount of lotion with a dime amount of Control I Gel and apply it to your hair in sections. Here is what you should do:
Separate your hair into five sections. Add the combination of Structura Lotion and Control I Gel to each section by raking it through your hair. When you finish with the last section, scrunch your hair and blow dry it using a diffuser for curl definition. Once your hair is dry, use a fingertip of Finishing Pomade to smooth hair and get rid of fly aways. Finish with by spraying Structura Spray for long lasting style throughout the day.
Q: I was thinking of trying a new haircut, and since my hair is long i decided something crazy. I’ve never had a short haircut before, so what do u think of such hair cut for a 3b girl like me?
Christo: The answer is YES! I believe that you can have any haircut that you desire as long as it works with your facial structures, body type, lifestyle and curl texture. Please feel free to email info@curlisto.com and attach a picture of yourself so that I can analyze your facial structure and be better equipped to give you advice on a haircut. If you are concerned about the texture, I have done many hairstyles before for women with 3b texture. You can see samples on my portfolio on CHRISTOnyc.com.
Q: I LOVE highlights in my hair, but every time I get them, they damage the holy heck out of my hair. My curls look beautiful initially, but then after some time, my hair starts to look like tumbleweed as a result of the stripping of the highlighted hair. The ends get so damaged that it becomes plain “skanky”. Now that I am CG and have learned how to really moisturize and care for my curls is it possible for me to get highlights again without the damaging results?
Christo: When you highlight your hair, you have to take your texture into consideration. Otherwise, you end up with all the problems you mentioned—damage, breakage, etc. The tighter your hair, the easier it is to become damaged. Your 3b texture is very fragile and dries out easily. The Curlisto way to highlight hair like this is to first treat the hair with the Colorective Line which is designed to prepare your hair before applying any chemical color process. Coloring curly hair is a lot more complicated than coloring straight hair. It involves a little more work but it can be done. Chemical processes can dry out your hair so it is very important to hydrate the hair shaft so you must CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION! Use deep treatments like the Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque once a week to counteract the negative effects of coloring.
Q: My problem is that all the hair underneath the top layer gets great curls, even some spirals. But all the stuff on top lays pretty flat. Is that just the result of damage and will improve with time, or will I have to keep helping the top to curl more? I’d be so grateful for any ideas on products and/or actions to bring out the curl on the top layer?
Christo: It seems like the texture on the top has a different texture than the one on the bottom and your haircut probably doesn’t help the style. The hair on the top layer of the head usually gets the worse abuse. Therefore, you have to use the deep therapy masque on a weekly basis to feed that area of the hair. When you are styling, you should pay attention to that part. Use clips and diffuse immediately. This will deliver a better curl.
Q: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and it is so humid here. We are entering the rainy season now, and I LOVE having curly hair. But the weather is making it hard for my hair and reduces it to a frizz ball. I have tried so many things. Please help advise me. It is halfway down my back in length, and I am wondering what I can use so it doesn’t does look so dry and frizz in this weather. What good conditioners are out there for this kind of weather? Thank you very much for any suggestions.
Dickey: Well, the good news is that you love your curly hair! The first rule to combating frizz, a characteristic of naturally drier textures such as your own, is not skip a crucial step — cleansing! This is the primary cause of dry hair, which results in crazy frizz in humid climates. Stay away from conventional shampoos that strip your hair of moisture. Instead, try Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream Moisturizing No Suds shampoo, which is formulated in a similar way to skin-care products. You shouldn’t wash your face with bar soap, so why use the same old dinosaur shampoo that destroys your hair? Squeaky clean hair equals stripped hair.
Q: I have 3b hair and it has always been parted in the center. It’s sort of a triangular shape most of the time. I’ve tried to combat this a couple of time by doing a side part or zig zag part or side swept bangs thing, and it just isn’t really working. My hair is not willing to change its position, and it just looks funny and gets into my face, making one of the sides look much thinner than the other. It’s a little like I’m pulling a stiff sheet of my hair in a direction it doesn’t want to go. Any suggestions? If I just power through and wear my hair like this for a while, will it eventually adjust?
Dickey: Yes, the triangle can look good for a nice old-school retro look, but it is not the most face-flattering shape. The right style will enhance your beautiful facial features. Some slight layering starting around the face and the crown area will lift the hair off your face and prevent the “Cousin It” look. Layers at the crown will give height and movement and not drag down your face. Always have a few layers falling around your cheek bone; it is the most flattering part of anyone’s face. Blush, anyone? As far as which side to part your hair on, it will usually fall in a natural part when it is wet. If you plan on changing it up, be sure to do it when your hair is wet with your favorite styling product to help fix it with out the stiffness. Try Hair Rules Curly Whip for soft, non-sticky hold.
Q: Is there a product you like for dry hair? I need something moisturizing that’s a little weighty to revive my 3c curls. I need something new for next-day hair. Water does NOT work for me. It makes my hair frizzy. Any suggestions?
Dickey: From shampoo to condition to style and finish, every product from Hair Rules is geared toward softening your hair. Hair Rules Curly Whip is a new generation of gel that hydrates curls with soft, touchable hold and won’t leave your hair tacky or sticky. It is super conditioning as well! Apply Curly Whip to soft, wet curls in the shower for wash and wear results. As often as you get in the shower is as often as you can re-do your hair. If your hair looks good in the morning and you just want to revive your curls, diminish frizz and get your definition back, use Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream and squeeze into curls. Watch them come to life and out the door you go!
Q: Over the past couple of months, I have changed my hair routine for the better, and now my hair is softer, stronger, and more defined than ever. Yet my naturally fine hair is so soft now, that it no longer seems to hold the shape of a twist/braid out. I usually do a twist-out at night, and now when I take my hair down in the morning, the shape of the twist is gone and my natural curl pattern (mostly 4a/bit of 3c”> takes over. This is a good thing at first, but by the end of the day, due to humidity, my hair becomes a frizzy, shrunken mess. Do you have any tips/product suggestions that may help to protect my hair against the humidity? This so frustrating, for I feel that I now have no control over my hairstyle.
Dickey: Well, let’s get the control back! Be sure that you get regular haircuts every two and a half to three months and that you maintain blunt ends. A lot of times, split ends can destroy a curl pattern and an overall style. Try your twist outs with Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream and I guarantee you will wake up with definition that will last all day!
Q: I have a question about flat twists. Should I do them when my hair is wet? I have tried doing them when they are dry and I could only get one to stay. Also, what product should I use to keep it moisturized and down.
Dickey: An easier method is to saturate your hair with Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream. It will add just enough dampness to your hair and dry quicker without you having to rewet your hair. It will also keep hair soft and pliable without that heavy, sticky feeling.
Q: I have mostly 3a hair — some coarse and some fine. It’s below my shoulders when it’s dry, and just above my waist when stretched. I currently have layers, and I am wondering what would happen if I grew them out? Would it be more wavy or maybe give me looser curls? Sometimes I want them looser, and I’m hoping that if they were, they would tangle less.
Dickey: Getting regular trims will help keep hair from tangling at the ends. Be sure to apply your styling product to very wet hair. This is the only time where all your multiple textures become more pliable and easy to shape. Hair Rules Curly Whip is an ultra light gel that will make all those textures submit to your command while stretching and elongating your curl pattern.
Q: I just did the BC (Big Chop”>, and now I am having some problems. I really have no idea what to do with my hair. It’s at an awkward growing stage right now. It’s sticking out past my ears and it sticks up on the top and then the back hangs down so I look like a chicken! As of now, I just do a faux mohawk because it’s the only thing that I know how to do. I basically just brush the sides flat and behind my ear because I think it looks weird sticking outwards. Any suggestions?
Dickey: I’m assuming you did the big cut to go natural? Have you found a product line geared toward your natural texture? This is important because now you are not relaxing so everything you thought you knew about hair care and styling when you relaxed means nothing. If you can’t get your hair to submit, find yourself a great cut you like! Have fun and investigate NaturallyCurly.com or go to websites or blogs and look through magazines for inspiration. You sound like you are a little adventurous. Most important, find out what your hair texture is. When it is really wet, having applied conditioner, is there a curl pattern? What you see wet is how it will set. The great thing about going natural is that there is versatility that you don’t have if you are permanently straight.
Styling your hair curly or straight requires two opposite techniques. When you dry your hair curly, Curl Keeper is the ultimate tool because it will totally control all frizz and keep your curls where they should be. Your styling success will depend on how you apply Curl Keeper, and on your ability to style your own hair. Make sure to use a generous amount of Curl Keeper, and once your hair is surface dry, shake it around to loosen the curl and soften your hair.
When drying your hair straight, your success depends on your ability to blow dry and flat iron. ReMane Straight will make the straightening process a breeze; your hair will glide through the brush with ease. You can use a generous amount without the feel of silicones. ReMane Straight is so clean and effective, your style will hold and last twice as long, especially on humid days, as the formula allows for reactivation with moisture.
The extracts in ReMane Straight have been added to protect your hair from high heat blow dryers and irons.
Save on these specials from Curly Hair Solutions: • Order 3 8-ounce Gels from Curly Hair Solutions and get one free — a $15 retail value. • Order liter sizes of Curl Keeper and Silk Leave-in Conditioner and receive a free 8-ounce ReMane Straight and pump — an $18 retail value.
When dealing with straight hair, a common mistake is to go over rough wiry patches with a flat iron, hoping they will disappear. By adding Silk Leave-In Conditioner to wet hair and combing through the stubborn wiry patches before blow drying or flat ironing, you will achieve better results and protection while smoothing the hair and adding shine.
A Day in the Life
This is the third in an ongoing series of features about some of the top curl stylists. We take you behind the chair to experience a day in their life. This month, we get up close and personal with long-time curl expert Carlos Flores from New York’s Mario Diab Salon. Flores has developed an international reputation for his knowledge and passion about curly hair techniques.
Carlos Flores
On this soggy Friday morning in springtime, New York’s Mario Diab salon is a welcome haven for curlies. Stepping inside, the classic black-and-white decor is brightened by select pieces of stylish art. The look is minimalist, but not sterile. Soothing, soft music sets a peaceful ambience. Clients are greeted with freshly brewed cappuccinos, a myriad of herbal teas, sparkling water, and a square or two of rich, dark chocolate.
It’s cozy. And that’s exactly how curl-centric stylist Carlos Flores likes it.
A self-described “Jersey boy,” Flores grew up in a close-knit Puerto Rican family. “It was almost like a village, we took care of each other,” he recalls.
Flores sports a buzz cut, but his natural texture is curly. He donned his curls for several years in the past to experience firsthand the twists and turns of textured tresses.
“Curly hair is misunderstood. I remember my haircuts, when I felt tortured,” Flores says.
And although being a stylist wasn’t a childhood dream, his sisters were unwittingly prophetic when they pressed him into his passion. “You never shut up; you should be a stylist,” they would say, with affection.
Throughout his 12 years as a stylist, his conversation skills have served him well. His chats are breezy, sprinkled with bouts of laughter and quick smiles. Often the topic turns to travel, which Flores relishes. He flies to London three times a year to cut hair and enjoy a mini-vacation. But in his view, a stylist should be less about ego and more about simply getting to know his clients.
“Life is a mirror,” says Flores, dressed simply in Levi’s jeans and a black t-shirt underneath a striped, button-down shirt (left open with the sleeves rolled up”>, with black-leather sneakers. “If you keep it real, you get back real.”
11:00 a.m.
“So, what’s cookin’?” Flores asks Isabel McGurn, a client of six years with shoulder-length caramel curls.
As he begins the cut (always on dry hair”>, the chat revolves around McGurn’s 10-year-old son, who has no idea how to manage his curly locks.
“First, get him off the shampoo, never use a brush and have him leave in tons of conditioner,” says Flores, offering tips to minimize frizz. He also suggests a curl-rejuvenating spritz or a spray bottle filled with two parts water and one part conditioner, if the curls are “too puffed.”
“Well, it’s less puffy and more like it just goes in a weird curly direction,” McGurn says.
She promises to bring him in for a cut, possibly the following month. “I think he’d be OK with the help. He’s so into curls,” McGurn says.
11:37 a.m.
Flores’s stealth assistant Mitzy steps quietly toward his chair, glancing at him with eyebrows gently raised.
“She’s dry?” Flores asks, referring to an earlier client.
Mitzy, with short, mocha ringlets and a soothing presence, nods yes.
Throughout the day, there will be more nudging nods and gestures exchanged between stylist and assistant, but few words. There’s a comforting familiarity that comes from knowing what each other is thinking, seamlessly guiding clients in and out of the chair.
11:55 a.m.
An out-of-town client arrives with dark-chocolate curls resting just above the shoulders.
“Hi, how are you?” Flores says.
“Well, my daughter is here to visit and says she’s going somewhere to get a blowout,” says the curly client from Florida.
Meanwhile, the rain outside has shifted from a drizzle to a downpour.
“On a day like today?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says, laughing and shrugging her shoulders.
12:07 p.m.
Flores steps into the next open room to check on McGurn who sits quietly under a dryer next to a table decorated with fresh, lemon-yellow tulips and glossy green apples.
Convinced McGurn’s style is on track, it’s back to his curly client from Florida. She has been coming to him for more than two years. Their chat resumes and he mentions possibly taking regular, quick trips (once every five weeks”> to Washington to cut hair as well.
“What about Florida? You know, where it’s sunny and gorgeous. Hello!?” she exclaims. “Do you know how many curly clients in Florida would line up for you?”
He says he’ll definitely consider it; they agree to work out the details.
12:35 p.m.
Again, Mitzy subtly enters the room, gives Flores the eye and a smile.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yes,” she says.
“OK,” he turns to his Florida client, “you’re going to follow Mitzy.”
Mitzy is beloved by Flores’s clients, especially this one. “I love Mitzy because she takes care of Carlos,” the radiant curly from the sunshine state tells me. “Anyone who takes care of him is in my circle of love.”
12:48 p.m.
Carlos makes a few final tweaks to McGurn’s curly do and she’s off. His next appointment is canceled, but the time is quickly filled. While his Florida client is in the back for a cleanse, her daughter arrives and introduces herself.
“My mom’s a big fan, BIG fan!” says the 20-something, brunette curly just in from the rain — her hair pulled back in a short ponytail. Poking out the edges of a bag she’s carrying are an umbrella and a newly purchased flat iron, still in its packaging. (She opted out of a salon blowout since it’s raining, deciding to try straightening it later herself.”>
“Be careful with that,” Flores says, eyeing the flat iron.
“Oh, it’s just for once in a while, for special occasions.” she remarks, nonchalantly.
“Really? I see you have weak hair, and I say that with so much love,” he says. “We need to talk, just to learn some dos and don’ts about it, to prevent your hair from breaking.”
Flores always tells his clients there’s no such thing as bad hair, just bad habits. In fact, almost all his clients are curlies, although he also sees “the occasional curly girl in denial.”
1:04 p.m.
The Florida mom strolls back in the room. “Your hair looks nice!” her daughter says.
“Well, duh,” mom says with a smile.
“OK, Carlos, I’ll work on strengthening my hair. Positive affirmations!” the daughter says, before heading out to shop while her mother finishes up at the salon.
The banter bounces back to convincing Flores to come to Florida. “What time of year do you want to come down?” she insists.
They vow to put something on the calendar soon.
2:00 p.m.
Next in the chair, a cheery curly redhead.
“It’s too long, I’ve had to use a lot of clips,” she says.
Flores knows what to do and moves right in for the cut. The back-and-forth banter now ranges from TV shows (Dancing with the Stars”> and musicals (West Side Story, Hair”> to travels through Europe and President Obama. He rarely allows more than a hiccup of silence, yet the conversation never seems forced.
After they exchange rave reviews about Oscar-winning movies “Slumdog Millionaire” and “Milk”, Mitzy whisks her away to cleanse her newly trimmed ringlets.
2:46 p.m.
The redhead is back in Flores’s chair.
“How was it?” he asks.
“It was wonderful,” she says, with her fiery ringlets in perfect shape. “If I were a cat, I’d be purring. You know all the comments I get. People stop me on the street and say ‘Oh your hair is so beautiful!”
Aryele Bradford
Creole, biracial, mixed. All three share one thing in common.
Curls.
But while some people embrace them, others fight them.
University student Aryele Bradford uses a relaxer to straighten her kinky curled hair.
“I have to straighten it,” says Bradford. “It’s hard for me to do things with it if I don’t.
“I don’t like that. My hair is way too thick, I wouldn’t be able to do anything with it,” she added.
Her mother and grandfather have a finer, wavier type of hair and they don’t use a relaxer to straighten their hair.
“I think all women with curly hair would prefer to have their hair straight!” Bradford exclaimed.
Not necessarily, Aryele.
Allee Bennett, a biracial student with looser curls, says “Curly hair is different and sometimes easier to manage. It’s easier to just put water on it and go.”
Allee Bennett
Bennett likes products that hydrate her hair and moisturize her curls. Her family, however, does not have the same hair as she does.
“My younger brother’s hair is curly but short, coarse and dry,” she says. “My younger sister’s hair is long and wavy.”
She said her dad is part Indian so his hair is really dark, coarse and wavy.
Brother Mouton, a man of Creole decent, sums it up. Hair preference, he says, depends on the individual.
“My sister has a straight hair type because she brushes it constantly and she heard that if you brush your hair a 100 times a day it will get straight,” Mouton says. “It did!”
Mouton also believes that hairstyle preference also is influenced by the times.
“When I was young, I wore a curly ‘fro,” Mouton says. “Then in the ’70s and ’80s, people were wearing the Jheri Curl. And now I see a lot of people wearing their hair straight.”
“Curly hair is not better than straight hair, or vice versa,” he says. “It’s all a matter of personal preference.”
Crystal Henry is a 20-year-old sophomore journalism major in the College of Communications at the University of Texas. She is an intern for NaturallyCurly.
Titi Branch
Q: My 5-year-old daughters is biracial — Mexican and African-American. Her hair has been relaxed with a texure softener. She could wear it down, but I can’t get her frizzy baby hair to lay down and she has at least a good half inch on the sides. Any suggestions?
Titi: Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme is an excellent product to “lay those sides down.” Apply Baby Buttercreme with a boar-bristle brush. Dab a teaspoonful on each side, and then proceed to brush down the sides with the brush.
Q: Oh em gee! Your hair is really beautiful. I’m 17 and I’m trying to learn how to deal with it because my mommy has been doing it all of these years. But it’s time for me to take over because I’m going to college in a year.
College-bound curly looking for advice on caring for her hair.
Titi: What a beautiful head of hair you have! Is the curl pattern the result of a twist out? If it is, I think you are doing the right thing to manage your hair. You can do a wet twist out with Curly Pudding. Section freshly detangled hair and apply Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding to each section and twist. Either air dry or sit under an overhead dryer then untwist. The result is a marvelous twist-out. Retwist large sections at night with Baby Buttercreme to preserve the coil that was formed and then untwist in the morning. You can continue this process for about two weeks without rewetting your hair.
Q: I live where it’s very humid, and it’s impossible to leave my 3c hair down. After an hour I have a big ol’ fat head like you can’t even imagine. But I don’t want my hair straight, either. I love curls. I was thinking about relaxing it to just kind of loosen the curls. Are there styling products and techniques I can use instead of turning to chemicals? I’m going crazy! I can’t even get ready in the morning anymore without crying.
This photo shows a model with one side stretched out and elongated.
Titi: If you don’t want to use chemicals to stretch your hair out, you can do so manually and with heat. Apply Curly Pudding to wet hair and comb it through in sections. Allow it to dry then take a blow dryer and blast the hair out from the root to about mid shaft. The heat should relax the curl, allowing it to temporarily hang longer and be more controlled. The heat blast lasts about 24 hours.
Q: I’m looking for ideas to style my hair — mainly updos and styles of that sort. My 3c hair is below my shoulders when wet. I live in Florida and there is no way I can wear it down. It will get three to five times as big within an hour of being out and it will make me feel like I’m suffocating. Any ideas what to do with hair that doesn’t make you look like a little girl and isl sexy/classy?
Titi: Use some Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls for light hold. Diffuse your hair dry. Accessories are really key here. You can pin up your hair by twisting large sections from the nape to the crown and insert a flower or any other beautiful ornament. This combination of texture and ornamentation tends to be beautiful and unique.
Q: What are Tomoka’s Twists, and how much hair is a good minimum to have to rock them?
Titi: I can’t say I’ve used them but some quick searching online I came up with this: “Tomoka’s Twists was a style established to meet the needs of the growing numbers of women embracing their natural hair who wanted to creatively and functionally adorn their crowns. Tomoka’s Twists started around an old, oak table when a young lady wanted something better than a rubber band to make a huge, afro puff. With the help of her family, a few laughs and a few hours later, three Tomoka’s Twists were born. One became an anklet and another a bracelet. And finally, one was worn for its true intention — a high afro puff.”
So it seems that they are an alternative to rubber bands except they are way more creative and beautiful. If it can be used for an afro puff you can pile all of your hair high and wrap and twist a tomoka twist around it to keep it secure.
Q: I am experiencing breakage in the back of my 4a head. The area feels dry and brittle. As such, I’m pretty hesitant to do a protein treatment. What should I do to nurse that area of my head back to health? Or are deep conditioners and patience the best remedy?
Titi: Moisturizing deep treatments, not protein, are the way to go. I recommend Miss Jessie’s Rapid Recovery Treatment at least once a week. If you can steam with it for 20 minutes, that would be beneficial. The idea is to keep that area soft and supple. As far as daily moisturizing, Curly Buttercreme or Baby Buttercreme would be a good bet to keep the dry patch moisturized. As our hair grows, we just need to ensure that we are preserving all of that growth. That means patience, moisturizing treatments and a daily moisturizing hairdress.
How hard is it to be a man with curly hair these days? Curls are becoming more and more popular for men. Just look at the reaction stars such as John Mayer, Adrian Grenier and Brody Jenner receive for their textured ‘dos.
But it may surprise you to learn that men often struggle with curl acceptance just like women do — maybe more.
Most magazines and advertisements for hairstyles and products are directed toward women, but what about the curly male? According to a study conducted by Yale University, a bad hair day actually negatively affects a male’s self-esteem more than a woman’s, and men feel more nervous, less confident, and are more inclined to be unsociable when they are unhappy about their hair.
“Many curly men just go to a local barber and get a crew cut because they don’t know what to do with their hair,” says Robert Nieves, a curly stylist at Devachan Salon & Departure Lounge. “That is one of the biggest mistakes guys can make. They don’t want to spend the money on a good haircut and healthy product for their hair.”
Education is the first step for men who have never tried to wear their hair curly, Nieves says.
“They need to understand that the growing-out process is going to be rough and can take up to three or four months, but the final result is worth it,” he says. “Once they have a good style, they will only need a cut every three months. So, wearing their hair curly is actually a big time saver because when one has a crew cut, it needs to be cut about every two weeks.”
Nieves’ biggest tip for men with curly hair is to invest in good products and to get rid of that regular towel. “They should scrunch their hair, don’t rub, and use paper towels or an old clean t-shirt.”
As trends change and curly hair becomes more popular, men are finally starting to embrace their natural curl.
“Guys these days are more resourceful in finding help for their curly hair. A lot of clients find our salon through website recommendations,” Shai Amiel at Capella Salon in Studio City, CA says. “You can also find stylist recommendations on NaturallyCurly.com when you click the CurlSalons link at the top of the page.”
Amiel believes that today’s curly guys aren’t afraid to ask questions about their hair.
“Once they get here, most men are very confident about asking how to take care of their curls,” Amiel says. “Men are usually newer to the whole curly process, so they have even more questions than many of my female clients.”
Gino, a color stylist at B.B. Hair Art in San Diego, says women are more comfortable with the fuller look then men are.
One thing that can help a man’s self-esteem is good color, says Gino.
“Highlights look really good on men with curly hair, especially when the hair is scrunched with gel,” Gino says.
Gino says he’s even found that some brands of colors, such as Redken’s Shades EQ, makes curly hair more controllable. And having a sense of control can be the secret to helping a man feel more comfortable with his curls.
“When a man has a good cut and style, he feels better about himself, and there is a glow about him when he leaves the salon.”
Curly hair can be a struggle for anyone, but more and more men are learning to appreciate their curls and are embracing and feeling confident about a trait that makes them unique.
Christo
Q: I have an inside scoop on a position opening at my city’s police department. I was wondering if anybody had a good style just in case I get an interview? I would really appreciate it.
Christo: If you are applying for a position with the police department, then it is important for your hair to be neat. I would suggest that you wear your hair slicked back with a side part, a hairstyle that is timeless, professional and exudes confidence and power. You can effectively achieve this look with both straight and curly hair. For straight hair, use a blow dryer so that it looks neat. Make a side part and slick your hair back with a little bit of Curlisto Control I Gel to keep all the hair in place. For curly hair, start on semi-dry hair and make a side part. Use Curlisto Control II gel to slick the hair back into a classic chignon. Your interviewer will see you are serious and professional.
Q: I’m thinking about getting my hair cut like a little longer than chin length. Will this change the way my hair sits on my head? I have 3b hair. Any suggestions on how to get the right short cut for my face? Do you think it’s better to go shorter gradually?
Christo: The most important thing to consider when going from long to short hair is committing to it. You must first ask yourself a very important question: Can my facial features carry this style? If you have a round or square face, the answer is no. If you have an oval or triangle face, the answer is yes. Equally important, is the right hair texture. If you are 3B, then the curls have to texturized right so that the curls don’t puff who understands your texture, and make sure to discuss facial shape and texture. Before getting the haircut, you have to make sure that your hair is in good condition so that there isn’t too much frizz when it is cut short. In order to improve the condition to prepare it for the short cut, use the Curlisto Deep Therapy Masque. Deciding how much to cut is based on how much you want a change. If you are really convinced that you want a visible change, you have to just go for it as long as it fits your face. If you’re not ready and you gradually get shorter, you might get discouraged.
Q: I have 3a thick hair — very soft curly — but the curls seem thin and stringy right now. Is this a product problem or technique problem? I’d really like to try to get them to clump more.
Christo: If you want thicker curls then you will have to use the right product and right technique. First, I would use the Repair Styling Cream, a leave in conditioner that will prepare your hair to group together for a fatter curl after styling. For styling, mix a quarter-size amount of Structura Lotion with a dime-size amount of Control I Gel and apply it to your hair in sections. When applying it to your hair, rake through with 3 fingers instead of 4 for fatter curls. This technique will add definition and make your curls fatter.
Q: So I used to have a mass of gorgeous ringlets — massss of them! Everywhere! I don’t know what happened but between March and now of this year, they seem to have completely died. I have a random curl here and there but the rest is brittle waves. I NEVER use a straightener on my hair as it easily blow drys straight. I never blow dried it often but I’m considering that the times I did it myself, I may have burnt it. So I got sick of it and cut it short hoping the new hair would be curly. But it doesn’t seem to be the case. Still dead. I’ve put multiple amounts of treatments in it. I just can’t get the curl back. What happened?
Christo: Texture always matters and it is important for your hair to be healthy. I understand that you had gorgeous ringlets in March, but keep in mind that your hair changes every 7 years and this could be the cause of the change in texture. The multiple treatments that you have used might be the cause as well. There are many treatments out there that don’t help maintain the healthiness of your hair. Instead of resorting to treatments that might have harsh chemicals that can damage your hair, you should use products that are made with Keratin and other proteins that improve the health of your hair and reverse the damage of neglect and chemical treatments. I suggest you use the Deep Therapy Masque at least once a week to bring your hair back to a healthy condition. There is no guarantee that your curl will come back to the ringlets that you had before, since your texture might have changed naturally. Burnt hair from blow drying and flat ironing can be fixed with the right hair cut and treatment, but the curl might never come back.
Q: Once I scrunch out the crunch, my ends start to separate and frizz. I have been avoiding hairspray because I hate how drying and fake it looks. But, I’m getting desperate! Any suggestions?
Christo: This is the perfect example of dehydrated hair. When your hair becomes frizzy as you’ve described, it is time to treat it with special treatments. I suggest Deep Therapy Masque at least once a week to bring back the health and prevent further damage. When styling your hair, you should also use leave-in treatments like the Repair Styling Cream. Then, when you’re finished styling, do NOT scrunch the hair with your dry hands because it will cause frizziness. Instead, use a light pomade that will smooth out flyaways and leave your hair soft and shiny. For a great hold without messing up the hair, I suggest you use Structura Spray, an anti-frizz product for high-humidity conditions.
Q: I need help! I am going to spend some time up north over the winter holidays. I have no idea how to take care of curly hair in those temperatures. I’m born and raised in Florida, and it’s never cold here, so I’m clueless. I was wondering if you have product and styling suggestions for colder, drier weather?
Christo: When traveling up north, consider it a break from styling your hair as you will need to fight high-humidity weather. Styling your hair will be a lot easier since you can use fewer products. When you are away for the holidays, I recommend that you start by preparing your hair with Protein Boost, a leave-in conditioner and re-structurizing spray. When styling, apply Structura Lotion to your hair in sections and let it air-dry or diffuse. Finish up with some Finishing Pomade. You will probably need half the amount of product that you normally use down in Florida.
When civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton made his semi-serious bid for president in 2004, there weren’t many who felt that he had an actual chance of winning.
Aside from concerns about his controversial political activism and accusations of anti-Semitism, the nation just wasn’t ready to be governed by a preacher with a perm.
For Sharpton to have a hairstyle distracting enough to affect his chances of occupying the White House is pretty ironic since his very first visit to the White House was one of the reasons that he got a perm in the first place. The other reason was because James Brown, the late soul singer, wanted him to.
I’ll give you a few seconds to “process” this madness.
It was 1981 when Sharpton received his calling from the Godfather of Soul who set
him on the path of the press and curl, just before taking him on a visit to the White House.
Al Sharpton
Sharpton met James Brown during his days as a street preacher in Harlem and leader of a civil rights organization for youths. He became friends with Teddy Brown, who was James Brown’s son. When Teddy was killed in a car accident in 1973, James Brown flew in to attend the funeral and asked to meet the young minister who had befriended his son. Brown eventually assumed the role of mentor and father figure to Sharpton, who was raised in the projects by his single mother and whose own father abandoned him.
Sharpton idolized Brown, who was a world celebrity and happened to wear perms that could rival any woman’s hairdo. When Brown decided that he wanted Sharpton to abandon his Afro and get a hairdo that resembled his own, there were no questions asked.
Brown received an invitation by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 to discuss making Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday. Brown invited Sharpton to accompany him but wanted him to get his hair done for the occasion. He took Sharpton to his hairdresser who permed his hair.
It has been that way ever since.
“He said, `I want [Reagan] to see a younger version of me when he sees you,'” Sharpton recalled in an interview with Ebony Magazine last year. “After I did it, he said he wanted me to keep my hair like that until he died, as our bond. So that’s how I ended up with this hairstyle.”
Sharpton’s permed hairstyle has become his trademark and he has flaunted it for more than three decades. He wears it as a tribute to Brown and an expression of a style that has become his own.
Even when Sharpton was warned that his flamboyant tresses could be a liability during his presidential bid, he didn’t deviate.
Sharpton’s hair is not as big and sissified looking as it was in earlier years, and streaks of grey have added to the toned-down look. But he still needs to get rid of it.
I admire Sharpton for keeping his promise to Brown by continuing to get touch-ups as long as his mentor was alive. But it has been more than two years since Brown died of congestive heart failure on Christmas Day in 2006.
Even though our highly talented soul singing icon has long taken his act to a higher stage, Sharpton shows no signs of putting his perm to rest.
If there are any petitions circulating in support of such a move, I’d gladly rush to sign. But it might take more dramatic measures.
There is a very popular ballad that James Brown often performed where he asks the woman whom he loves not to leave. During those heartfelt performances Brown would dramatically drop to his knees and cry, “Please, please, please, please,” as he desperately begs her to stay.
Maybe that same approach would persuade Sharpton to pay tribute to us and make his perm go away.
A Day in the Life
This is the second in an ongoing series of features about some of the top curl stylists. We take you behind the chair to experience a day in their life. This month, we get up close and personal with Denis DaSilva, co-owner and master Stylist of Devachan Salon and Departure Lounge, a growing chain of salons catering to the world’s curlies.
Denis DaSilva
Denis DaSilva has the gift of gab. But unlike some stylists who overindulge in chatter, the co-owner and master stylist of Devachan Salon reveals his charm in peekaboo moments. Mostly, he appears unassuming, focused and nearly obsessive about precision. Even with an assistant always at the ready, he unconsciously glances at his watch in five-minute intervals. On this chilly winter morning, it’s just after 11 a.m. on a Friday, and DaSilva is mixing color for two clients while responding to a phone message.
“Tell him to call me in exactly 10 minutes, no sooner, no later, please,” he says.
The phone rings constantly for him on this December day. DaSilva not only manages more than 90 employees, he is in the midst of a new product launch and a second salon opening in White Plains, a New York City suburb. His attention is captured in moments. Right now, he focuses on a client who chose blonde highlights and another curly who drove in from Long Island for DaSilva’s color expertise.
Devachan salon is also the home of Deva products, which are among curlies’ favorites!
“That’s the most stressful part of the business, doing color,” he tells me. “You really need to hear what the client is saying and understand it because one word could mean many things.”
Within 10 minutes, the call he’s expecting is back on hold. He slips away to take it, then sneaks in a few nibbles of a berry-bran muffin. Within minutes, he’s back to his clients.
“Denis, he’s the master,” says the Long Island client with chestnut curls.
“One day the master will be born, but he’s not born yet,” he replies, appearing almost uncomfortable with the praise.
Despite his self-deprecating talk, DaSilva exudes a quiet confidence that commands his clients’ trust. His cautious demeanor comes from decades of experience with finicky clientele. Just when you make one client happy, another strolls in with a dilemma.
12:00 p.m.
The sister-in-law of the client from Long Island arrives. She also has an appointment with Denis for color.
“My hair’s a mess,” she says with a sigh. “I have to tell you the color was too light last time.” Of course, she asked for a blonder look at the time, DaSilva later tells me, but he says nothing about that to her today. Instead, he indulges her grievance and offers a solution.
“Let’s go with low-lites,” he says.
Meanwhile, his assistant finishes styling the previous client who received blonde highlights. She quickly walks over to DaSilva: “I just want to say thanks a million! It’s absolutely perfect.”
“Some of our clients come from far away and they expect the best,” DaSilva tells me, “So the pressure is on, whether we like it or not.”
Thankfully, he thrives under pressure because the salon sends all the difficult or unhappy clients straight to him. “Tough clients make you a better professional,” DaSilva says. “When you please them, they stay with you for life. The easy clients are willing to go somewhere else.”
1:00 p.m.
A mother (also a long-time client”> walks in with her daughter for the teen’s first haircut with DaSilva.
“Tell him what you want and then do what he says. I’ve learned the hard way,” she tells her daughter, with a wink.
“When was your last haircut?” DaSilva asks the teen with all-one-length honey curls hanging to her waist.
“A long time ago,” she says, softly.
“Well, we’re going to bring the length up a bit, and don’t worry, it will be pain-free,” he says, smiling.
Once that cut is complete, it’s back to the client who came in with a grievance. The plan is to tone down her color with a combination of low-lites and highlights.
“I’m going to do what I think is best for you and you can give me your input,” he tells her. “I don’t want to make it too dark because then you’ll say ‘Oh no, I’m a brunette.'”
“The toner will bring her down a shade and a half,” he explains to me.
2:00 p.m.
Trying to stave off hunger, DaSilva slips to the back for more nibbles of the same muffin. On this day, he’s too busy even for his usual sushi lunch: a salmon roll.
“I have the same thing every day because I don’t want to think about what I’m going to eat,” he says.
Meanwhile, another client arrives, this time a Brazilian woman who chats with him in their native Portuguese. For her, he touches up the roots and adds highlights.
Then, it’s back to the teen with honey-colored curls for some finishing snips on her new ‘do.
“It looks absolutely beautiful,” the mom says to her daughter.
“She looks gorgeous, no surprise,” mom tells DaSilva.
Next up, a new client. “Nice to meet you,” DaSilva tells the brunette curly. “So, talk to me. How can I help you… (pause”> with your hair, of course,” he says with a touch of humor.
“I’m really open-minded, I just don’t want a triangle.”
“I hear you,” he says and nods.
“My sister got the best haircut by you and that’s why I’m here.”
They discuss a few details of the cut. DaSilva shapes her mocha-colored curls to allow the movement she’s looking for, then his assistant takes her back for cleansing and styling.
3:00 p.m.
The verdict is in from the long-time client who wanted a color adjustment, claiming her curly locks were “too light” after her last visit. Today, she emerges with a swirl of caramel and honey-kissed curls. She makes a thorough inspection in the mirror.
“Much better,” she says of the color.
“Looks great,” DaSilva adds.
After she leaves (happy”>, DaSilva scurries to the back room to check the schedule of his remaining clients. “I’m very much behind,” he says. Just one late client can throw off the entire day — and today a particularly impatient client just arrived. DaSilva has styled her textured tresses for nearly a dozen years. He knows she won’t wait quietly.
“I’ll be with you shortly,” DaSilva says.
“Really, how long?” she says, with an obvious hint of frustration.
“About two hours,” he deadpans.
“Well, I have to get somewhere, so seriously, how long do you think you’ll be?”
He manages to soothe her irritation long enough to go back to his chair and start on the client scheduled before her. A 20-something woman with dirty blonde waves says she’s ready for a change— even though she already mixes up her style, going from curly to straight and back again.
“How are you going to wear your hair today?” he asks.
“Curly.”
“Good girl.”
“Well, it’s raining outside,” she says, and then changes the subject: “I feel like my hair is getting thinner, like baby hair.”
“I think you spend too many hours in the mirror,” he says, poker-faced. “Your hair is not getting thinner. You’ll have to wait about 50 years for that.”
She chuckles and rolls her eyes, her body language shifting in and out of sarcasm. Their camaraderie is endearing. Like many successful stylists, DaSilva is able to adapt quickly to the many personalities he encounters in the salon.
4:00 p.m.
DaSilva asks his assistant to check on the new client who should be styled and ready by now. Meanwhile, he steps away for a minute to finish the last bites of that same bran muffin he started eating five hours ago. The new client is back in his chair for a few of DaSilva’s final snips and, voila! She’s done.
“So, what do you think?” he asks.
“Amazing,” she says, ever so matter-of-factly, confirming her expectations were met. “Love it. Just love it.”
Comforting praise like that helps DaSilva remain passionate about an industry he first entered as a teenager. Still, he never takes the accolades for granted. He knows he must earn each and every one, with every cut, and every new client.
Q. I have kept my type 4A hair very short for two years. I’m growing out my hair now but I’m not sure how often I should get my hair cut.
Dickey: Your first cut, depending on how short your hair is, might require clippers. The second cut should be two-and-a-half to three months later, once your hair becomes long enough to blow dry with a comb attachment and lightly flat iron so that the dead ends can be seen and cut bluntly. Then, cut your hair religiously every two and a half to three months thereafter. Once your hair becomes tangled and coarse on the ends, that’s a good indicator of your ends need to be trimmed again. You should have rapid growth if you follow these rules for cutting.
Q: I have super kinky hair (currently a medium-sized ‘fro”> which I love. It is beautiful when it is soft pressed out and easy to manage. This is my first time going natural. Braiding it every night to keep it from matting and the dryness of it — and the stress of it when I do not press it out — is getting to me. I do not know what products to use and what to do. Please help. I love my hair and do not want to go back to relaxing it. I need help on how to maintain, strengthen and moisturize it as well as info on how to manage my hair myself.
Dickey: I love that you love your super-kinky medium ‘fro. That’s a journey unto itself with your texture having been overlooked for so long. I’m glad to see you on the other side. The goal for you is to get your hair in its optimal condition.
For starters, stay far away from conventional shampoos with sulfate-based surfactants that dry out your particular hair texture. No amount of any conditioner will replenish what those old dinosaur formulas strip away from kinky hair. Your hair should never ever — not even after cleansing — be left feeling hard, dry or coarse. Instead, use Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream, a non-sudsing cleanser formulated and designed with principles similar to those established by the skin-care industry. Squeaky clean no more! You wouldn’t wash your face with bar soap, so why dry your hair out with those old formulations that are particularly damaging to kinky hair. Also, you cannot over-condition your hair, and water is not the enemy. So do both often if you’re wearing your hair natural. Rinsing with just water is also a great way to keep kinks detangled for wash and wear results! To get a better understanding of what I mean, go to hairrules.com and look at the Kinky Curling Cream application video. It will help to further liberate your gorgeous kinks.
As far as haircuts go, skipping regular cuts can make kinky hair feel coarser than it really is. Also, kinky curly, tightly-wound, springy hair needs to be blown out straight to more accurately see the split ends that need to be cut. Never go beyond two and a half to three months before getting a hair cut or trim if you’re growing it long. That’s four to five haircuts a year. Be sure that your hair is the same thickness from root to ends. It is a misconception that kinky hair will not grow long or grows slowly.
Before Hair Rules, there was no a standard of hair care offering easy, wash and wear styling results for the truest classification of kinky hair. But, we do know the process for women with textured hair, especially kinky, has been fraught with struggle and frustration fueled by misinformation and marketing hype. Now, you just need to learn the rules, and you can learn to love and embrace your natural texture, and it seems you’re on your way!
Q: I’m in my mid-40s and have pencil-size corkscrew curls that I would love to embrace. My problem, whether hereditary or other, is that my hair is very thin on top. It’s not quite male pattern baldness, but my scalp definitely shows. I usually let my hair dry naturally and then I use a curling iron to straighten the top, to me this makes my hair look fuller. I’m sure this is damaging what hair is there, but I don’t know what else to do. Would you possibly have a suggestion on styling or products to use?
Q: Dickey: I’m assuming you’re wearing your hair in a straight style? The great news is that your hair is curly and can camouflage much of your baldness if you can just break the habit of straightening, and embrace the curl. Perhaps you should experiment with styling the curls on your day off (or on the weekend”>, placing them in a position that best masks the sparseness. Once hair is dry, fluff the top, and see if that doesn’t fill in the top. Then get a cut that will support that result. The longer you get your hair to grow, the more it will cover and draw less attention to the top. But you’re correct: the more you apply heat to those curls, the more fragile and weak the hair on top will become. Consult hairrules.com and try to find the texture that most closely matches yours. Then follow the product recommendation on the site.
Q: Are there any products or secrets to keep curly hair from frizzing up?
Dickey: The answer is yes. Frizz is a natural characteristic of curly hair simply because the texture itself is naturally drier, and dry hair wants to expand and separate, becoming flyaway and frizzy. Soft, nourished hair, on the other hand, wants to unite and stay together, forming a neat, defined curl pattern. So:
Rule 1: Use Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream to cleanse without drying out hair. Stay away from shampoos that contain sulfates and strip the hair, leaving it hard and dry.
Rule 2: You can’t over-condition curly, naturally dryer hair, so apply conditioner daily and don’t rinse it out entirely.
Rule 3: Apply your styling product to soft, wet curls IN THE SHOWER. Your curls look best when wet, so apply your product, place curls into the position you like them and DO NOT TOUCH the hair until its completely dry. Either let it air dry, gently diffuse (again not touching curls until dry”> or sit under a portable hood dryer.
Q: I’m at my wits end with my hair. It’s dry, really rough to the touch, the curl formation is horrible, and the tangles are phenomenal. What on earth is going on? I can’t understand what my hair needs, and I can’t seem to find a conditioner that delivers moisture my hair will accept.
Dickey: I’m sorry you’re frustrated. When was your last haircut? Your stylist should be cutting your ends so that you’re not feeling the coarseness, which is really old hair that should have been cut. Also, try washing your hair with Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream, or at the very least, use a no-suds/sulfate-free formula for one month. Condition with Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner, and leave it in for 15 minutes or so. Then, slowly rinse it out. You should feel a difference immediately. For good curl definition, apply (saturate in fact”> your soft, very wet curls with Hair Rules Curly Whip in the shower. What you see wet is how your curls will set. Then, sit under a pre-heated portable hood dryer for 15 minutes or diffuse with a blow dryer — but DO NOT TOUCH your hair until completely dry.
Q: I have naturally curly hair, but since I have been straightening it every day for quite a while, and now it doesn’t curl right. This is so sad; I really want my curly hair back. Is there anyway of getting it back to curly? Do I need to chop it all off?
Dickey: No, don’t chop it off, but DO get a healthy haircut and take off as much of the straight stuff as you can handle. Then, start cleansing right away with Hair Rules Daily Cleansing Cream to help re-hydrate your hair. Shampooing with conventional shampoos can strip the hair of its natural oils. When compounded by excessive heat styling, the combination completely zaps hair of all moisture, leaving it dry, brittle and inflexible — which is why it won’t revert easily to its curl pattern. Start deep conditioning to add moisture back into the hair. Try Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner and a super-hydrating styling product like Curly Whip. In addition to reinvigorating curl definition, it will help to re-condition and hydrate your parched, heat-styled hair And, if you want to continue straight styling, then always use a lightly moisturizing leave-in conditioner as a protective buffer — so that you burn off the product rather than the natural oils in your hair — or worse yet, the hair itself. Hair Rules makes a great one: Nourishment Leave In Conditioner.
Q: How do I preserve a twist for more than one day? Whenever I do a twist out, it looks great the first day but once I sleep on it and wake up in the morning it is all over the place. Some parts matted to my head, and others just sticking out all over the place so I end up either re-washing or slapping on a headband.
Dickey: Try sleeping with a silk scarf, or re-twisting larger sections loosely with Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream the night before.
My contribution for African-American History Month is to set the record straight about the straightening comb.
As many of you already know, I am no fan of the daunting steel-tooth instrument brandished by my mother whenever it was time to tame my ever-defiant head of hair.
But my hot comb hang up hasn’t tainted my preference for fact over fiction. Even though many people still want to believe that the straightening comb was invented by Madame C.J. Walker, the black entrepreneur, it was not.
I repeat, it was not.
Madame C.J. Walker
Madame Walker, who invented popular hair products, popularized the straightening comb when she started using it with the products as part of a hair care regimen that she practiced and advised.
I asked my friend and colleague A’Leila Bundles to weigh in on this. A’Leila is author of “On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker.” She also happens to be Madame Walker’s great-great granddaughter.
A’Leila says that Madame Walker was still a washerwoman in St. Louis named Sarah Breedlove when ads for straightening combs also known as hot combs, appeared in Bloomingdales and Sears catalogues in the 1890s. She didn’t start using the hot comb herself until around 1906.
“The fact that Madam Walker developed an international enterprise, that she provided jobs to help thousands of women become financially independent, that she was a political activist and that she was a philanthropist is much more interesting than a connection to the hot comb,” A’Leila said.
A’Leila, who gives countless speeches and interviews, still runs into people who would rather believe the hype.
“I feel like I’m playing whack-a-mole,” she says. “Some people want to believe this myth because it fits into their notion of finding a ‘villain’ for why black women straighten their hair and some people want to believe it because they’re really glad someone invented an implement to help straighten hair. I just try to be as gracious as I can and let them know accurate information.”
So who is the real inventor of the straightening comb?
I cannot find a source that knows exactly who, but a Parisian named Marcel Grateau (aka Francois Marcel”> comes close to being a likely suspect. In the late 1800s, Grateau started using heated rods or tongs to straighten hair. In 1872 he created a wavy style that became known as the Marcel Wave. Just like Madame Walker made millions selling her hair products used in combination with the hot comb, Grateau made a fortune using heated instruments that created his popular wave.
Now that I’ve done my part in placing the straightening comb in the right hairstorical light, I will resume my position as one who still despises the bloody thing for burning my scalp without cause!
A Day in the Life
This is the first in an ongoing series of features about some of the top curl stylists. We take you behind the chair to experience a day in their life. This month, we get up close and personal with Christo, global artistic director at New York’s posh Christo Fifth Avenue, a salon catering to the world’s curlies, including a long list of celeb clients.
“Half businessman, half artist,” that’s how Christo describes himself. To his clients, though, he’s all charm.
Christo is “half businessman and half artist.”
“Christo rocks!” one long-time client blurted out with a smile on a recent wintry day at Christo Fifth Avenue Salon in New York. She is one of a dozen curly clients Christo will style, cut or color on any given day. Working nonstop for hours on his feet is far from easy, but Christo makes it seem as welcoming as a tropical breeze.
So, how does he do it?
To find out, I spent a day shadowing the curl expert. Despite his veteran status, he not only continues to take clients, but also runs his salon with a crew of 10 stylists, manages his own product lines (with new ones in the works”> and designs one-of-a-kind, lavishly upscale (read: $300 to $4,800″> cuff links.
Christo is somewhat of a walking showcase for his jeweled baubles (and for the latest fashions”> and he wouldn’t have it any other way. During my visit, he wore a custom-made Italian designer suit, Ferragamo belt, and perfectly polished Bruno Magli shoes.
“My wardrobe is fierce,” he acknowledges. “I like to wear designers’ [clothing] and I’m a designer.”
In fact, outside the salon, Christo often collaborates with fashion designers to create hairstyles for the Fashion Week runways. He also takes private bookings for celebrities and the political elite. (Whew! Just rattling off his list of to-dos seems exhausting.”> Before noon on this biting-cold Friday in early December, Christo has already gently ushered a few clients in and out of his chair.
He effortlessly flits from brief chats with his marketing executive (“Do you need me?” she asks”> back to his chair (“If you have time we should do a Deep Therapy Masque,” he suggests to a client with dehydrated curls”> to even supervising the assistants in charge of shampooing. Christo doesn’t assume assistants will choose the right shampoo and conditioner for each client. “I tell them specifically what to use,” Christo says. He monitors it all, but without too much hovering.
12:00 p.m.
With his customary kiss on each cheek (mwah-mwah!”> and a hug, he welcomes in his next client with shoulder-length raven curls. Within minutes, this long-time client is in his chair, chatting on her cellphone. He’s already getting started, scissors in hand. She doesn’t flinch.
“Are you going to talk to her about what she wants?” I ask.
“I already know what she wants, and sometimes I don’t let them choose,” he says with a chuckle and a smile.
In the midst of the trim, Christo’s personal assistant quietly steps in to ask him to confirm a time for his upcoming trip to Washington. (He signed on as the stylist for a few dozen celebrities arriving in the nation’s capitol for inauguration parties in honor of President-elect Barack Obama.”>
He confirms and goes back to his scissors for a few more finishing snips. Then, he’s off again. “Excuse me for a second,” Christo says, as he makes his way to welcome the next curly client, a twenty-something redhead whose thick, fiery curls seem to float down her back.
With another mwah-mwah welcome, he starts to send her to the back for a wash, but she stops him to quietly ask if he can blow it straight today. “Well, that’s an extra charge,” Christo says, encouraging her to keep her curls intact. “Your curls are beautiful.” She skips the blowout.
Back to the raven-haired client. “Would you like some coffee, tea?” he asks, then sends her under the dryer.
12:50 p.m.
The fiery redhead is cleansed and seated in Christo’s chair for a trim. They chat and laugh, with the familiarity of dear friends. “You need an updated picture of your daughter,” she teases. “It’s at least six months old!”
After cleaning up the ends of her mane, she’s off to be styled and set under the dryer.
Christo continues to shuttle back and forth between clients, skips lunch (which he says is common”> but doesn’t complain.
1:35 p.m.
The curly redhead is back in his chair for a final style check. “It looks great,” he says, reassuringly. She then turns to me: “He tells me you have to make your hair happy.” She smiles and out the door she goes.
Christo focuses his attention now to mixing color for his next client, Karen Goldstein, who lives in California but only colors her curls when she is able to make a trip to New York to see Christo. Today it’s low-lights.
“Make sure you cover the gray,” she says.
“Well, we can do a glaze between the foils, but I don’t think you need it yet,” he says.
“Okay, I trust you,” she responds, then turns to me: “He’s been doing my hair for 10 years. My relationship with Christo lasted longer than my marriage!”
As the day goes on, Christo is finally able to relish a few free moments after learning that one of his appointments cancelled. An assistant immediately steps out to retrieve one of his favorite treats: an extra-strong, extra-hot chai latte from Starbucks. While sipping his only nourishment for the day, he briefly meets with his publicist to make corrections to his regular column he’ll submit to Cyprus Mail, an English-language newspaper in Greece.
3:00 p.m.
Another three clients have been moving through the salon, from the sinks to Christo’s chair and then the dryer. Not all are exactly chatty, so Christo morphs into a chameleon and adjusts to their more subdued temperaments.
“Everyone has their special needs and I try to accommodate them as best I can,” he says.
One restless client tells him she’s in a rush, but it appears she may simply want a bit of extra attention.
“Sometimes, clients don’t want to share you,” Christo says.
3:45 p.m.
Fielding a few more questions from his publicist, Christo answers a quick call and then confirms his attendance at a party to be thrown by an ambassador to Qatar. It seems Christo is in demand almost as much as the high-profile clients he styles. Still, he says he always manages to find balance in his charmed life. Sundays are always reserved for his family and, to stay even more centered, he practices Tae Kwon Do (he has a black belt”> a few times a week in the evenings. Aside from martial arts, his passions are watches (he owns more than two dozen, including a Rolex”>, fashionable clothing, fast cars and, of course, styling curly hair.
“I don’t see this as work,” he says. “I see this as coming to a place, doing what I love and getting paid for it.”
Patti Stanger
As Bravo’s reality show “Millionaire Matchmaker” gears up for a second season helping the wealthiest men find love, there’s no telling what controversial remarks host Patti Stanger will make this time around. It’s hard to forget the angst and anger the show’s star stirred in the curly community last season with her caustic comments about hair.
During one searing moment that caused many viewers to cringe, Stanger ordered women with curly hair to find a flat iron or they’re out! She even compared one curly girl’s hair to a brillo pad. Ouch! Men only want women with straight, silky hair that they can run their fingers through, the brazen matchmaker told the group of wide-eyed, hopeful bachelorettes.
But could it really be true? If a woman can’t (or won’t”> crush her curls, is she doomed to be crushed in love?
We posed that question to a handful of the leading matchmakers who attended the Professional Matchmaking Worldwide Conference in New Jersey last month. Although the love-life coaches we spoke to showed respect for the abrasive-matchmaker-turned-reality-star (after all, Stanger is credited with hundreds of marriages”>, they were not so quick to quash curlies:
Julie Paiva, CEO, Table for Six Total Adventures: “Curly hair or straight hair is not the point. Men fall in love with women who love men — women who make them feel attractive, strong and confident. What men want more than anything is to be the hero. It’s actually really easy to get a man to fall in love with you, if you just start treating the men in your life the same way you treat the women in your life. We’re always telling women how funny they are, that they’re so smart, they’re amazing! But for some reason, we’re reluctant to give men the same compliment because we’re fearful they’re going to take our power away. We need to show love and not be afraid of getting hurt — and get the walls down.”
Paul Falzone, CEO, The Right One/Together Dating: “I think curly hair is wonderful. Yes, some people are not attracted to women with curly hair. Maybe the guy dated a girl with curly hair in high school and she broke his heart and he’ll never date another girl with curly hair. But I don’t think your hair has a lot to do with what you’re looking for in a relationship. Whether your hair is curly, straight, blond, brunette, redhead, you should go for it!”
Lisa Clampitt, President, VIP Life: “Men look at the whole package. For my female members with curly hair their hair just fits in to who they are, their personality and their attractiveness. There’s not a specific anti-curly hair [message from men]. It’s really the whole package of who a woman is and how she presents herself. Take Julia Roberts. She’s a really hot sex symbol for a lot of men and she has the curliest hair. But some men don’t find her attractive at all, so it’s just a matter of taste.”
Bill Paye, COO, Romance Pros: “If the hair is long — straight or curly is great. My girlfriend has naturally curly hair. Sometimes she straightens it, and it looks great both ways. Long, naturally curly hair is a great look and I think most guys like that look.”
Julie Ferman, Founder & CEO, Calif.-based Cupid’s Coach: “In my Cupid’s Coach personal match-making system, I don’t see women with curly hair getting any less interest or activity than women with straight hair. I will say women who keep their hair long, as opposed to butchy and short, get a much better response from the men. But I don’t think that it has to do with curly or straight.”
Since it appears that many men are open to all hair textures, will Stanger ultimately soften her rigid-straight stance on curly hair in the show’s second season? Or will hairstyles simply be overshadowed by a new controversy in upcoming episodes? You never know what to expect with Stanger, which appears to be exactly what draws in the many viewers who love to hate her.
Stay tuned!
Q: I love your hair. Do you two-strand twist it to get that effect? I don’t have as much hair as you do, but I’m looking forward to growing mine out to the length you have in the picture. The top of my hair is growing much faster than the rest and I want to know how to coax it downward instead of it standing straight up all over. I’d love to know what products you use to get your look as well.
Titi: Thanks! I don’t 2-strand twist my hair. I have a Silkener which I fingerstyle. I switch off different products for different effects. Lately, I’ve been using Miss Jessie’s Stretch Silkening Creme for fingerstyling it when wet. If your hair is totally natural I would recommend Shingling the hair with Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding when wet to get the hair to move in a downward motion.
Q: I need some advice/help. Since I have been trying to do better by my curls (i.e. natural curl-friendly products, no heat, conditioner washing, not straightening, and more moisturizing”>, it’s like I have two TOTALLY different textures of hair on my head. I haven’t straightened my hair in over a month (a long time for me”>. I know we all have a mix of different types of hair, but here is my issue. The front of my hair is getting straighter and straighter while the rest of my hair is getting more defined and curlier. What am I to do?
Titi: This is not uncommon. Straightening the hair tends to leave the front sections straighter than the rest because that area tends to get handled the most. Try to get all the hair to look more consistent. Do a twist set or a spiral rod set to make all the curls look the same. The key is that you have to wear your hair curly to “train” it to remain in that formation.
Q:: How do you achieve that “hang”, so to speak? My hair (4a”> is a decent length, and when it’s still kind of wet, I get the weight that I like. It’ll hang and looks nice overall. But once it’s completely dry, it just kind of stays in one spot. I don’t know if people achieve that “hang” with thicker hair, longer hair or specific products.
Titi: Ah, the “Hang.” What causes naturally curly hair to hang is when the individual strands are stretched out and elongated so that they are free to move about. This can be accomplished chemically with a Silkener or thermally with heat. If you are doing it by heat fingerstyling your naturally curly hair, when the hair is completely dry, take the nozzle tip of a blow dryer and blast heat to the root area, halfway down the hair shaft. This minimizes the tightly compacted nature of curly hair that it tends to adopt after the hair is dried. This stretching-out technique will create the movement that you are looking for!
Q: My hair (3c”> is about shoulder-length and I’m having trouble with frizz (mainly the top part, which is weird”>. Ever since my hair got damaged when I was younger, from chemically straightening it, it’s become really frizzy. I’m currently using stuff to get it healthy again; however, everyone tells me using gels defeats the purpose of using products to get my hair normal again. How do I battle this frizz?
Titi: Frizzy hair is generally damaged hair. Deep conditioning treatments like Miss Jessie’s Rapid Recovery Treatment are really helpful in plumping and filling the hair shaft so that the strand appears consistent from root to end. You should also avoid gels that contain alcohol, which can be very drying to the hair.
Q: How is it possible that I have tiny little knots on individual strands of hair (3c”>. Is there a way to stop it? It looks like someone purposely took one strand of hair and tied it into a knot at the bottom. I guess my hair is just that curly. I’ve noticed several and there is no way for me to undo them.
Titi: I’ve seen this phenomenon before, and although it’s very annoying, there is a way to minimize the knotting. Knotting occurs when the strands tangle unto themselves and form a knot at the end. By keeping the hair fully moisturized and making the strands of the hair “slippery,” this can really cut down on the amount of knotting that tends to occur in a dry hair environment.
Q:: I’m confused about the best way to deep condition. Should I apply it to dry or wet hair? What’s the best way to get the most out of my deep conditioner?
Titi: Apply deep conditioner to wet hair. Wet hair is in its most pliable state. Heat really amplifies the effect of a deep-conditioning treatment because heat causes the cuticle of hair to swell, thereby allowing the treatment to penetrate the shaft more deeply. Apply your treatment to wet hair. If you are in the shower, apply the treatment to your hair and allow the steam from the shower to penetrate each strand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then finish with a “cold shot” rinse to close the cuticle down. If you have an hood dryer, apply the treatment to wet hair and sit under an overhead dryer with a high heat for approximately 15-20 minutes. Follow the rinsing instructions above!
