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There is a misconception out in the curly world of exactly what conditioning and strengthening hair really means. Many people assume that they are one and the same. The truth of the matter is that they are very different. Here are some curly hair care tips for keeping your locks both strong and conditioned.
Hair Strengthening
Creating Healthy Hair
Strong curls will break less during styling. When you strengthen hair, you are really creating healthy hair. This “style resistant” hair is created by infusing vitamins into the hair cuticles. This process nourishes the hair roots, prevents breakage and hair loss, and will improve circulation. Unfortunately, curlies should keep in mind that these products only work temporarily, so it is important to repeat your favorite hair strengthening routine once per week so that the strength can continue.
- Products – There are many curly hair care products available in the form of creams, oils, and even some products specifically developed for all curl types. One of the best products for curly hair strengthening is a deep conditioner. Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment is a great option. If you don’t have the time for a deep conditioning treatment, you may opt for hair strengthening shampoos and conditioners. Try CurlJunkie Beauticurls Strengthening Conditioner in place of your normal conditioner and watch the healthy hair appear! Want to put the strength on as a finishing touch? All you need is a spray or cream that is designed to strengthen either wet or dry curls. Spiral Solutions Leave-in Protein Spray will strengthen your locks and provide shine.
- Diet – The food we eat plays a very important role in hair strengthening. A diet rich in calcium, phytoestrogens (found in soy products”> and vitamin C can work wonders in terms of strengthening those fabulous curly locks.
Curly hair care starts with a healthy hair regimen. »
Check out strengthening products and reviews from curlies like you! »
Are you eating these top ten foods for healthy hair? »
Hair Conditioning
It’s all about moisture
Many of us use lotion, drink a lot of water, and use similar methods to moisturize our skin every day. Our curls need this same type of curly hair care in the form of conditioning.
Unlike strengthening, which keeps hair from breaking, conditioning adds moisture to our curls, and should be part of our healthy hair regimen. In all honesty, a good conditioner can mean the difference between a head of beautifully flowing locks and a head-full of frizz.
- Rinse-out Conditioners – There are many choices when it comes to conditioners you can use and rinse out after shampooing. Read the labels carefully to determine if the specific conditioner is right for your type of hair. It’s best to leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out. This will allow it to penetrate your curls and add the moisture that you seek. If possible, up to 30 minutes is desirable.
- Leave-in Conditioner – In addition to adding moisture to your curls with a rinse out conditioner, you can opt for a leave-in conditioner. After washing and towel drying your hair, apply a leave-in conditioner to your hair and then style as normal. Leave-in conditioners allow your hair to soak up the moisture on a continuous basis, adding a soft feel and shiny look throughout the day. Be careful not to use too much, however, because if there is one thing that we curlies hate, it’s that greasy look.
Our top 5 ingredients for moisture retention! »
Browse our conditioner reviews and find the right one for you! »
Join the convo! Which works best for you, leave-in or rinse out? »
Strengthen or Condition?
- The strength of your curly hair comes mostly from within, and depends on your diet and overall health.
- Curly hair care involves a lot of conditioning to help your curls stay moist and frizz-free.
- Deep condition regularly, eat right, and use leave-in conditioners daily, and you will be well on your way to hair beauty!
Want More?
Make your own deep conditioning treatments using these recipes that are good enough to eat!
Heading out on the town or preparing for a special event doesn’t have to present drama or a dilemma for those with wavy, curly, or kinky hair. In fact, some of the most popular glamorous hairstyles come in the form of a classic quiff. Many curlies don’t even realize that this look can work for them, as well.
A quiff is a style that is easy to obtain for curly hair of any length or texture. Better known as “rock-chic,” a quiff is easy to obtain and the instruments needed are few. Perhaps the greatest thing about a quiff is that is a rather versatile style that can be worn on the top of your head or on the side. So, if you have wavy, curly or kinky hair, try out a quiff hairstyle for your next special night out.
What ever your style, what ever your hair type, the quiff will get you the look you want.
Get the Elegant Quiff Look
What You’ll Need
- Tail comb
- Hairspray like, Aubrey Organics NuStyle Organic Hairspray
- Hot rollers
- Bobby pins
- Backcomb your curls. In order to maintain this style and enjoy a hair care free evening, you will want to apply more than a generous amount of your favorite hairspray. Use clips or bobby pins to hold hair back on the sides, pinning where you see the hair needs to be held down. Your eyes and personal style will define the look, so be sure you pin down where you see fit.
- Create a higher style. To obtain a higher bouffant style, you can use hot rollers. Doing so will keep your curls from suddenly or gradually falling in your face throughout the night. Roll your hair backwards on to the hot rollers, and then leave them in for 15 minutes. Afterward, you can roll tresses to the back or to the side depending upon which look you are going for.
- Finish it up. Utilize some bobby pins to keep the quiff in the area of the head you want it to stay. Most women who sport this style want it to have a shine, which adds to the “get noticed” appeal of a quiff. To do this, simply add more hairspray. Be careful not to add too much, or your ‘do will look over-done or fake. After all, the point is to get some attention with a glamorous look, not to be a conversation piece.
Want more hairstyles?
We’ve got them! Check out this how to article on three different twist styles.
Final thoughts
If you have never done a quiff before, or if you are somewhat nervous about it, take a couple practice runs at it before hitting the club scene or the main event of the year. We all know that practice makes perfect, and a quiff is no different.
Been looking for a hairstyle routine that has the potential to keep your curls tight and bouncy up to four to five days? Look no further! Curlies everywhere have been utilizing what is called the tightly curly method, invented by Teri LaFlesh, author of “Curly Like Me,” in order to achieve just that.
The method is based mainly on using any type of conditioner as a leave-in conditioner. While it may seem a little odd to leave a rinse-out conditioner in your hair, the method has many curly-haired women raving about the results.
So join the bandwagon, find out how to use the tightly curly method properly and become one of the raving fans.
Shampooing
Since curly hair is so different than straight hair, extreme care must be taken when cleansing. This means that you should be washing your hair gently, focusing more on the scalp area.
Most curlies only need to shampoo once—aka, no rinse and repeat—and when finished, rinse the shampoo out. Once this is completed, you can use a light low-cost conditioner. Apply a generous amount to your scalp and squeeze it down to your ends. A lightweight conditioner will make the hair slippery, allowing for dirt to cling to it. This way, when you rinse it out, you will rinse out more dirt, leaving you with cleaner hair without over shampooing.
Some curlies, however, may not even need to shampoo. The no shampoo method works well with the tightly curly method as well. Keep in mind, however, that if you have recently worked out, you should wash your hair in order to rid it of sweat and dirt, despite you individual hair type.
Applying the Conditioner
You need to use a lot of conditioner in order to make the tightly curly method work. Pour out a big handful and apply it to half of your hair, concentrating on areas other than the scalp. In order to allow the scalp to breathe, apply conditioner about two inches away from the roots.
As you are applying, you should be able to feel the conditioner gushing around your fingers. If this is not happening, you need more conditioner. Once you are done with one half, do the same for the other half.
Settling and Definition
Use a large toothed brush that has a lot of give, as curly locks often can be damaged by finer toothed combs.
While brushing, you will notice that the conditioner is producing a lot of foam, but by the time you are done, this foam will disappear as the conditioner settles on the hair. Keep in mind that your hair needs to be soaking wet while you are brushing.
Wrap strands of hair around your fingers in order to define curls.
Let it Dry
Avoid blow drying as this can cause damage and frizz. Instead, let the hair dry naturally. If you’re feeling impatient, you can speed up the drying process with a little help. Once it is dry, don’t brush or comb it. Rather, separate it gently with your fingers.
Maintenance
If you want to refresh the look between shampoos, simply wet the hair and apply more conditioner. In order to help maintain the look, sleep in braids. This will help to hold the curl pattern and style in place. Also, if you haven’t yet invested in a satin pillowcase, you definitely should! Cotton pillowcases pull at your hair and can cause frizz, split ends, uneven curling, and more. You don’t want to spend all of this time on the tightly curly method just to have everything unravel while you sleep.
If you have an oval shaped face, you might not be aware that this shape is considered perfect for just about all hair styles. There are so many curly hair styles for oval faces—no matter what your hair type—so the sky’s the limit.
The oval shaped face is considered perfect because there is nothing about the face that needs to be enhanced, nor are there feature that should be minimized of detracted from. The biggest rule to finding curly hair styles for oval faces is to not cover it up. Why mess with perfection?
Bangs
Allow those amazing features to shine with a long, layered cut. Type 2 wavies can enjoy side-swept bangs, but curly gals with type 3 and type 4 hair may want to shy away from bangs altogether. Curly and kinky bangs have a tendency to shrink and may need to often be heat-styled to maintain the look. Heat styling is unhealthy for your locks and it is best to stay away from daily use.
Keep in mind that, while bangs may be an option, for wavies, curlies and kinkies, an oval face is something to show off. No need to cover your forehead—your oval shaped face should shine.
Parting
For medium to longer hair, all curlies will want to keep their locks from falling in their face. Each curly hair type should consider parting their hair on the side instead of down the middle. This will keep the oval-shape from looking too long. Try sticking your hair behind your ears and using either pins or a decorative barrette to hold it in place.
Layered
No matter long or short, all curly hair styles should be layered but still kept off the face. The oval shape can handle a shorter cut as long as there are no bangs involved for those with tighter or kinky curls.
Curlies can run into trouble if they cut their hair too short without layering. Cuts that are too far above the ears can make you look like a puffball, so soften up the cut by allowing for a slightly longer cut and some layers.
Reach for the Stars
Beyonce Knowles and Julia Roberts are both blessed with oval shaped faces, and both have long, curly hair. Their styles can be emulated by curlies everywhere. Get brave, enjoy your perfect face, and see what you like best.
Women with heart shaped faces are experimenting with curly hair styles that they may never have considered before, and the results are fabulous.
A heart shaped face is defined as having a narrow and pointed chin. If you’re a curly with a heart shaped face, you will also have very defined cheekbones, you can find a style that not only flatters your cheekbones, but will also make your eyes pop.
Of course, the main aim of any woman with a heart shaped face is to add width at the bottom in order to obtain balance.
If you’re looking for something a little different, though, these curly hair styles can help make your decision clearer as far as determining what look you want to try next. After all, having curly hair doesn’t mean that you’re trapped with just one style.
Long Curly Hair Styles
Curlies can add width to the lower part of the face by keeping the length of their locks no more than 4 to 5 inches below the chin. Soft and loose curly locks work best in layers to frame the face while taking the weight out of the curls.
For type 4 hair, any kind of twist will look amazing as long as your locks are not pulled back too far away, allowing the hair to frame the face while staying out of the way. Try pulling your hair back while leaving just a touch hanging on the sides. This look can double as a morecasual or elegant style depending upon what you are wearing.
Remember not to let hair hang too far below the chin area, no matter what type of curls you have, since this will elongate the face.
Short Curly Hair Styles
Layers abound for those of us with short, curly hair. However, with a heart shaped face, it’s important not to have short layers near the top of the head. This will result in a “top-heavy” look offsetting the goal to make the chin area look wider for a more balanced flair.
When you visit your stylist for a cut, alert him or her to your face shape. One of the best short curly hair styles for heart-shaped faces is the pixie cut. If a pixie-cut is too short for you, try a short style that will minimize frizz, while letting it grow out on the sides. For women with looser curls, a bob cut just beneath the ears will be perfect. For those with tighter curls, a bob cut just above the ears will expand the kinks out, diluting a “top-heavy” look.
Medium Curly Hair Styles
Since the entire point of styling hair for the heart-shaped face is to frame it by adding width to the chin, medium-length curly hair styles are best.
For wavy, type 2 hair, bangs that are side swept and not blunt across the forehead work best for a heart-shaped face. Blunt bangs can shorten the look of your face.
Keep in mind that bangs work best on those with loose curls; types 3 and 4 may have problems with maintaining bangs. However, if you can achieve the look without having to result to straightening the strands, bangs can even out a heart-shaped face for all hair textures.
Layered curly hair styles work well for all hair types, but should always be tapered around the face to highlight your best features.
Softening your cheekbones while at the same time adding style is, for most curlies, the entire point of the medium-length hair style. Many medium hairstyles for curly hair are easy to maintain and can offer an array of simple, elegant or sexy styles.
The Sky’s the Limit
As you can see, there many of ways that curlies can style their hair around their heart-shaped face to magnify the eyes, soften or dramatize their cheekbones, and play up or soften their beautiful features.
Remember to keep the frizz and fly-aways at bay with your favorite products to get the most out of these sensational curly hair styles. We like products such as Blended Beauty Curly Frizz Pudding.
In today’s beauty world we are hearing about new, all-natural products every day. Some work very well and deliver on their promises while others, well, let’s just say they leave much to be desired.
Brahmi oil, however, is one of those helpful little items that help curlies in ways that they may never have understood before. In fact, most of us do not even realize that this oil is found in many of the natural hair products we already use.
Health Benefits and Origin
Brahmi oil (better known as Gotu Kola”>, is a regenerative herb that has been used for thousands of years as a medicine. This Gotu Kola is a common ground cover, which is found in the tropics of India.
Brahmi oil has a sweet fragrance and is green in color. The proponents of Brahmi say that the herb promotes intellect and enhances mental performance. Brahmi fans also state that proper function of the nervous system is greatly enhanced by the herb.
Guto Kola has also been used to help people with amnesia, memory loss, general weakness, senility, neurasthenia, and coughing. Those suffering from epilepsy, venereal disease, and insomnia have also reported tremendous Guto Kola benefits.
Of course, the question comes down to, “What can this do for my curly hair?”
When used properly, curlies will not want to go another day without it. While Brahmi is normally an ingested tonic, you can seek amazing benefits for your curly hair by using the herb in its oil form.
Dandruff
Let’s face it, from time to time even the most vigilant of us can end up with bouts of dandruff and a dry itchy scalp. When applied to roots every night, Brahmi oil will replenish hair roots with the necessary moisture and cure your dandruff problems. In addition, Brahmi oil will make the hair follicle stronger with continued use.
Hair Loss
Many curlies apply Brahmi oil regularly to their scalp in order to nourish their hair roots, promoting growth. When using the oil, you will be keeping your head cool and allowing hair to grow quicker.
Split End Prevention
Once you have been using Brahmi oil on your hair you will begin to see that your split ends are fewer and farther between. Consistent use of Brahmi oil coats the hair follicle providing an extra layer of protection and thus preventing both discoloration and split ends while promoting luster.
Sources of Brahmi
Many natural oils already contain Brahmi, so if you want to try it, then all you need to do is read the labels.
It is also in many massage oils, conditioners and shampoos. Brahmi oil has a fruity, fresh herbal aroma and can be blended with sandalwood to offer an even more relaxing experience while handling that dandruff and those pesky split ends.
Final thoughts
Remember, the best way to apply Brahmi oil is to massage it into your roots. Daily head massage also promotes blood circulation to the area and encourages faster hair growth.
