Search Results: Michele Bender
Curly hair is thirsty hair.
That’s just the way it was born and the way it will always be. That’s why deep conditioning at least one to two times per week is critical for gorgeous, shiny hair that blows gently in the wind (as opposed to dry, crispy hair that don’t move”>. It was also one the top things I did when I was growing my chemically straightened hair out to go back to my natural hair. I was religious about it and I swear, once I started deep conditioning as much as possible, my hair grew faster than they had before. Here are my top tips for deep conditioning your hair.
1. Choose a rich conditioner
No lightweight will do here. Find one that’s rich and thick. I’m beyond obsessed with Heaven in Hair. It fills the porous areas on the surface of the hair so it stays super hydrated. This is key especially if you color your hair.
2. Lay it on thick
Apply deep conditioner to wet hair and don’t leave one curl uncovered. In fact, I like it when I can barely see my brown strands through the deep layer of conditioner I’ve applied. And don’t skimp on the ends since they’re the driest part of the hair.
3. Cover it up
To keep the conditioner from getting all over you and let it warm up a bit, slip on a shower cap. (I take them from hotel rooms when I travel.”> You can also wrap your hair in plastic wrap or a warm, damp towel. Keep this on for at least 15 minutes.
4. Heat it up
For best results, you need some heat to help open the cuticle of the hair so the conditioner soaks in. Try sitting in a steamy bath or shower or waving a blow dryer over your cap-covered head. My favorite way to deep condition is to sit under my table-top hooded dryer. I use the Gold N Hot Elite 1875 Watt Ionic Full Hood Professional Hair Dryer and I stay as long as I can stand it before getting overheated (about ten minutes”>.
5. Sleep on it
Once in a while, it’s a great idea to snooze with your deep conditioner in your hair. Not only is the conditioner in longer, but it warms up from your body heat as you sleep. This was another of my top tricks when I was growing out my chemically straightened hair. Just use an old pillow case and sleep on it that night. Note: Some curlies love this and others hate it. Exercise caution; if your hair is thin and easily over-moisturized do not attempt.
6. DIY
For a do it yourself recipe try the Wrapunzel from Curly Girl: The Handbook. Put a ripe avocado in the blender along with three to four teaspoons of honey or agave and three to four teaspoons of olive oil. Blend until combined and spread on hair. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel wrapped turban style. After 20 – 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly.
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But the fourth time was the worst: I had an up-to-my-ears bob that made my head look like a triangle with the width of my hair being three times the height. That was the final straw. I finally decided to find a salon where they knew how to cut curly hair.
So in light of my experience, here are some things to beware of so that bad curly haircuts and post-salon hysterics are a thing of the past for you, too! Here’s what to beware of:
Stylists who cut curls wet
Curly wet hair and curly dry hair are like distant cousins; they may be in the same family, but they act very, very differently.
“Curly hair may be halfway down your back when wet, only to spring up as much as 6 to 10 inches when it’s dry,” explains Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: The Handbook. “Plus, we wear our hair dry, not wet, so it should be cut that way.”
Stylists who want to blow your hair straight before the cut
I’ve had stylists do this to me many times, claiming that straightening the hair helps them see the hair cut better. But if you don’t wear your hair straight, why would you have it cut that way? You may get a nice straight hair style and cut, but not one that will make your curls look their best.
Stylists who straighten their own curls
Request a stylist who is an expert in curly hair or, better yet, one who actually has curly hair and wears it that way. Another curly girl or guy will understand the nuances of your hair. Plus, someone who has accepted his or her natural hair texture can help you love yours even more.
Salons that treat curly hair and straight hair the same
Call the salon and ask if they know how to cut curly hair. If there’s any hesitation, find another salon. Better yet, look for a salon that specializes in curls (or has some stylists who do”>. One good way to find one you love: ask any gorgeous curly girls who does their hair. Us curlies love giving out advice. Or, if that fails, hop on over to our Salon Finder and find a curl salon in your area.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and filled with many wonderful events that let you run, walk, swim or bike to raise awareness and money for breast cancer organizations. But just because you’re getting sweaty for a cause doesn’t mean your curls can’t look their best post-workout. No matter how you exercise to help give breast cancer the boot, these tips will make it a good hair day.
Running or walking for the cause?
Keep curls neat while you sweat.
Before you break a sweat, pull your hair away from your face with a fabric-covered ponytail holder, ribbon or scarf. “These are more gentle so they won’t tear hair and won’t disrupt your curl’s natural shape,” explains Lorraine Massey, author of “Curly Girl: The Handbook.” For hair framing your face, especially shorter bangs and curls use, a thin headband or twist curls toward the back of your head and secure them to the rest of your hair with a bobby pin. Another option is what Massey calls the Unicorn ponytail where you simply bend forward at the waist, tilt your head forward and gather all your hair at the crown of your head, then secure it with a fabric-covered ponytail holder. For longer hair, as you loop the holder around the second or third time, don’t pull the entire ponytail through so you it resembles a bun on the top of your head.
MORE: Majoring in Curls: Curly Hair Tips for After the Workout
Bike riding for the cause?
Avoid a serious case of helmet head.
Helmet hair isn’t pretty. But you can fight back and still stay safe. Keep your helmet from flattening the top of your hair by dipping a hair clip in some silicone-free gel. Then, clip small sections of hair at the top of your head by placing the clip at the roots close to the scalp. This helps strands stay lifted despite the weight of your helmet pressing down on them. For shorter curls that frame your face, gently twist them back toward the crown of your head and secure with a bobby pin. Also, note that taking care of your hair daily using sulfate-free cleansers and lots of conditioning keeps hair healthy. As a result, it will rebound better and faster once you take off your helmet than dry, brittle hair will.
MORE: Curly Hair Care for the Gym
Swimming for the cause?
Prevent chlorine from leaving hair dry and brittle.
Chlorine is a chemical that can leave your hair super dry and stripped of much needed moisture so you’ve got to do a little prep work to avoid the damage. Before diving in, wet hair with tap water, then cover it with a rich conditioner. “The water and conditioner fill the porous holes in the hair so it’s much harder for chlorine to get in,” says Massey. “You can also apply olive oil to your hair instead of conditioner because it’s hydrating and helps repel the chlorinated water.” You can also slip on a bathing cap for added protection. After your swim, make sure to rinse and condition your hair as soon as you can to remove any cholorine that may have seeped in.
MORE: Curly Hair Products for Your Gym Bag
Do you have plans to support breast cancer awareness this month?
Moisturize Your Curls
Now that I am a reformed curly girl (i.e. I grew out my chemically straightened hair, tossed my blow dryer and flat iron and haven’t used traditional shampoo in four years”>, my curls look pretty good, if I do say so myself. But when I talk to curly girls who are still blow drying, flat ironing and doing other torturous things to their strands, they often say, “But I don’t have good curls like you” or some other variation of this sentiment. That is simply not true. I didn’t have curls like this either until I started treating my hair right.
One of the key things for good, make that gorgeous-looking curls, is moisture. As curl guru Lorraine Massey says, “Frizz is just a curl waiting to happen.” What it’s really waiting for is some hydration. Your poor frizzy strands are just thirsty! I promise that if you hydrate your hair, curls that you never knew were possible on your own head will start to emerge. And if you keep hydrating them, they will just get better and better over time.
1. Condition often and after cleansing
You should always condition after you cleanse your hair, which should be only a couple of times per week. The other days, just wet your hair and use your fingers to comb generous amounts of conditioner through it.
Even if you don’t want to get in the shower and drench your tresses, you can simply wet your curls lightly with water from the sink. Then put a dollop of conditioner in your palms, add a little water, rub hands together and gently apply this to your hair, especially to the top, which tends to get the frizziest.
2. Don’t rinse the benefits away
This was the best trick I ever learned. Don’t rinse all your conditioner out of your hair. How much you leave behind effects how much frizz shows up later. I personally don’t rinse any of my conditioner out. Instead, standing away from the stream of the shower, I simply fill my cupped hands with water and splash this over my head. That’s it. I find that my hair can never have too much thirst-quenching conditioner.
3. Use the right stuff
This may take some trial and error, but the right conditioner means you can leave a lot of it in your hair and it won’t feel greasy or crunchy. Look for one with ingredients that hydrate hair including shea butter, vegetable oils, jojoba oil, cetyl esters, olive oil and wheat germ. Also look for conditioners that contain humectants – ingredients that soak in moisture from the atmosphere – such as panthenol, vegetable glycerin and sorbitol.
4. Go deep regularly
At least once or twice a week, deep condition your hair using a rich, thick product and keep it on at least 15 minutes. Even better, heat it up with a blow dryer or wrap a warm, damp towel around your hair.
If you take the time to add these tips to your routine, your curls will be bouncing with joy!
MORE: Deep Conditioners for Curly Hair
What do you do to keep your curls hydrated?
One of the biggest curly hair myths is that curly girls can’t wear hats. (Another is that men don’t like curly hair! Boy is that wrong, but that’s a story for another day.”> But if you didn’t realize this was a myth, you’re not alone.
None of my curly-haired friends knew this, and neither did I. In fact, during the years that I wore my hair curly, I spent many winters freezing for the sake of a decent hair day. Fear of frizz also kept me from wearing a bike helmet for many years.
When I had kids, I learned to embrace my curly hair and got these great curl-covering tips from the experts at Devachan Salons in NYC and Culver City, CA. Now I’m protected when I wear my bike and stay warm in the winter, and I can even sport a cute spring or summer chapeau without worrying about hat head.
These tips also go for wearing wigs or scarves.
1. Keep your curls healthy
If your hair is hydrated and in good shape to begin with, your curls will bounce back better and more quickly after sitting under the weight of a hat, helmet, wig, etc. This means washing hair with sulfate-free cleansers, moisturizing often with loads of conditioner and deep conditioning at least once a week.
2. Clip hair for lift
It’s usually the top of the hair that gets flattened under a hat, scarf, etc. Give hair a lift by putting a little alcohol-free, silicone-free gel on a hair clip (find them at any drugstore”>. Then take a small section of hair from the top of your head and place the clip at the roots close to your scalp. Do this in a few different spots on top of your head so these strands stay lifted while your hat, scarf, hood or helmet presses down on them.
3. Remove clips with care
When you take the clips out, use one hand to remove the clip and the other to hold the section of hair. This keeps the curl’s natural shape and prevents accidentally tearing or snapping of the hair. Then spritz curls with water or use wet fingers to gently ruffle hair near the roots.
4. Revive wayward curls
If any curls get unfurled while covered, just wet your finger and wrap the section of hair around it. Pin it with a clip or bobby pin for a minute or two, release and the curl formation will be back.
5. Pin them back
If you’ve got shorter curls framing your face, you can gently twist sections of these hairs toward the back of your head and secure with a body pin. This helps them keep their natural shape while covered.
Curly and wavy girls often wonder why their strands aren’t as shiny as their straight-haired friends. In general, it’s because curly and wavy hair is drier and because many curly and wavy girls do things that disrupt their natural hair and leave it dull. So how do you keep frizz at bay but also get great curly hair shine? It’s easy. Read on!
Don’t ruffle your hair
Each strand of hair has tiny scales covering it like overlapping tiles on a roof. “When the tiles lie flat, they reflect light and your hair shines,” explains Lorraine Massey, co-owner of Devachan Salons and Spa and author of Curly Girl: The Handbook. “When they’re ruffled, your hair won’t shine because light needs to be reflected off a smooth surface.” Things that rough up the cuticle include heat from blow dryers and flat irons, chemical treatments, terry cloth towels and hair brushes. Skip the heat and chemical products (if you must use a hair dryer, use a hair diffuser“>, toss the hair brush and combs and use a micro-fiber towel or old t-shirt to dry your hair.
Skip detergent shampoos
“Traditional shampoos contain detergents that erase shine from hair,” says Massey. “Hair is like fabric and we never look for shine in our clothes after we wash them so why would you expect your hair to shine after?” Instead, look for cleansers that are 100% sulfate-free and contain botanicals or cleanse hair with conditioner rather than shampoo. It actually works just as well because it’s the movement of your fingers on the scalp that cleanses hair. Simply apply conditioner to finger tips and gently massage scalp to release dirt and oils.
Steer clear of silicone
Silicone is another hair shine eraser, but it’s ironically also in a lot of shine products. “At first, silicone seems to give hair shine, but eventually that shine turns into an unhealthy, heavy, dull, greasy look,” says Massey. Alcohol also gives hair a dull cast because it dries it out – and curly hair is naturally dry enough on its own. Instead, read product labels and look for styling products that are silicone-free and alcohol-free.
- Type 2 (Wavy”>: Wavy and swavy hair tends to be shinier than tighter curl types. But you should still say sayonara to shampoo to keep this shine and enhance it. You can also give hair extra body and luster by combining a little alcohol-free, silicone-free gel with your sulfate-free shampoo. Use this to cleanse hair and rinse completely. Follow with conditioner.
- Type 3 (Curly”>: Eat your way to gleaming strands! Foods that contain healthy fats help moisturize hair from the inside out leaving it shinier and thicker. In fact, women who go on crash diets or suffer from anorexia often have dull, lifeless, thinning hair because they lack these nutrients. These fats include omega-3 fatty acids which are easy to find in foods like avocado, salmon, flax seed oil, egg yolks, sardines or in fish oil supplements.
- Type 4 (Kinky”>: Every strand of hair has a follicle that produces natural oils and it’s these oils that help give your hair shine. But because curly girls have only 100,000 hairs on their head in contrast to other hair types with around 120,000, there aren’t as many hair follicles and thus not as much shine-inducing oil. Also, thanks to curly hair’s twists and turns, it’s harder for that oil to travel to the ends of the hair to moisturize it. And the curlier the hair type, the harder it is for that oil to travel. To make kinky hair glisten, deep condition it regularly and leave a lot of conditioner in your hair every time you shower to add slip for the oils.
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Browse tons of shine-inducing products that are silicone and sulfate free for your waves, curls and kinks!
Final Thoughts
How do you get and keep your curls shiny? Give us the deets!
Last November I had my straight ends cut off and was a curly girl from scalp to shoulders. But to me, the real test of how much I loved my new hair was going to come in the summer. In other words, what would my curly hair be like in the humidity?
Sure, I liked my hair in the winter when the dry air made my curls bouncier, and in the spring when my curls got a little tighter as they blew in the April breeze. But summer has always been the worst season for my strands. In fact, this is one reason I loved my chemically straightened hair. It looked the same year round. In retrospect, however, and after perusing lots of old, straight-haired photos, I realize this wasn’t such a good look for me.
So I started this summer wondering if I’d really love my curly hair when the humidity got a hold of them. Would I have to make curly product concoctions in the bathroom to hold my hair down and keep it from growing that halo of frizz that taunted me in my former curly days? Or would I spend the summer hiding my hair under a collection of hats and have a wrist full of ponytail holders?
With the last days of summer are behind me, I can honestly say that summer and curly hair do go together! Now that I know that frizz is just my hair screaming for moisture, I gave it what it wanted in these warmer months: more conditioner. I deep conditioned more often, about three times a week, and used a drop more gel. I also spritzed it with a product called Set it Free.
Not only did I like what the weather did to my curls, I loved it! My curls seemed thicker and shinier. And that halo of frizz? A mere distant memory!
Fall is the ideal season for curly hair with its crisp air and light breezes. Once November comes, I’ll be able to say that I’ve gone through all four seasons as a curly girl and, though my hair changes with each one, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So to slightly tweak the famous James Taylor song: winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is curl! Curl is all you need!
And moisture, of course!
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Is your curly hair damaged from all the outdoor fun this summer? Follow this regimen to repair those damaged locks!
Final Thoughts
How did your curls fare this past summer and what curly girl regimen did you use?
But I really saw myself when they showed both women after they had their hair done. Despite the fact that there were potential health risks in the chemicals that had just been applied to their hair —one being cancer—and that one woman’s eyes were watering as she got it done, they didn’t care. Their smooth, straight strands were more important than their health! I remember feeling this way when I got my hair straightened. Though the treatment I did wasn’t the Brazilian, I still remember thinking that I didn’t care what it contained. I didn’t care that the chemicals stung my nose and eyes. I didn’t care that the flat iron was burning my scalp (and that I’d have a few scabs on it for days after”>. It got my hair straight and that’s all that mattered. Now I realize how dumb that was. Plus, in my opinion, neither one of the women looked better when their hair was straight! Even their slightly frizzy curls in the “before” photos looked more flattering than the poker-straight hair that looked so obviously NOT natural. (One of them actually looked beautiful and years younger in her “before” photo”>. Their best bet would be to figure out how to make their hair’s natural texture look its best. I’m not saying these women MUST live with frizz or out of control curls—they don’t. But as I learned from Lorraine Massey, co-owner of Devachan Salons and Deva Spa and my co-author for the upcoming book “Curly Girl: The Handbook,” just figuring out how much conditioner and gel your hair needs and letting it dry without touching it (a challenge, I know”> can change how it looks without all the time, money and most of all health risks! (“Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts said she asked her hair stylist about it and the stylist said she would NEVER do these treatments because of their potential risks.”>
I’m not putting either of the women in the segment down. I’ve been in their shoes before (or more aptly their chemically straightened hair”> thinking that my flat, straight strands looked better than my natural hair. And because my hair is still growing out from its dead, straight state, I don’t love it every day. I’m still learning to work with it, to make it look its best. But even on my worst hair day, I’d rather know I’m not risking my health for my hair! And here’s something funny: a few segments later they were interviewing actress Sally Field about her TV show. She was talking about the awful, stormy, rainy weather in NYC and how having to run through the rain to the set had ruined the hair she’d recently had blown out. Her hair did not look good, but again, had she embraced her natural texture and made it look her best, she would have had more time to promote her TV show during her few brief moments on air rather than lament her hair! This whole thing reminds me of one of my favorite quotes of Lorraine’s: “Straighten your hair, and you might be happy for a day (unless it rains”>. Learn to love and care for your curls, and you’ll be happy for life!”
Lorraine Massey
It’s official: “Curly Girl: The Handbook” (Workman”>, the updated and much expanded version of the original book written ten years ago, was released into the world on Monday night—or at least the world of beauty and lifestyle editors from national magazines, websites and top morning, daytime and evening TV shows along with bloggers and freelance writers.
The book is out at the end of January so Monday night allowed these editors to take a sneak peek at it, and most importantly, witness curly hair transformations right in front of their eyes. The party took place at one of the Devachan Salons that Lorraine co-owns in New York City’s trendy Soho neighborhood. In front of the salon was a Bentley with the words “Just Deva-ed” written in whipped cream on the trunk, with a trail of empty bottles of DevaCurl No-Poo and One Condition tied to it. Not only was it a fun night, but many curly girls came out of the closet! (Some who didn’t even know they were in the closet and other religious blow dryers who never dreamed they’d go curly.”>
Lorraine knew that we had to show not just tell the more than fifty members of the media how much better you hair looks when you reveal its natural texture and how easy it is to get gorgeous-looking curls and waves. So all party guests had the option of getting a curly makeover. More than half said yes so their hair was washed and styled with DevaCurl products by Lorraine and the salon’s other top stylists. As they waited for their hair to dry, many editors seemed skeptical, but once their hair was dry, they were stunned at the ringlets, curls and waves that had emerged.
The Deva Bently
It was funny to see how some editors would hesitate to get a curl makeover, with the usual excuses used by curly girls to straighten their hair, “I don’t have nice curls” or “I have frizz, not curls” or “I don’t really have curly hair” and then once their strands got a little of Lorraine’s Curly Girl TLC, they realized how pretty their natural texture was.
Luckily, a photographer for the event took before and after photos because some of the transformations were utterly amazing. One woman looked about fifteen years younger when the dry, frizzy, blown-out hair she came in with turned into soft, elegant waves. (She was stunned and emailed me after the party to say so was her husband!”> Another was shocked that what she called her “bad curls” were actually beautiful because they were given the right hydration and care. There were many stories like that- and many happy late night emails. The other thing I found exciting was that, after seeing the gorgeous ringlets around them, some of the naturally straight editors were so green with envy that they had their hair curled using gel and clips!
In addition to the curl makeovers and a heartfelt speech from Lorraine, there was yummy food (with curly cucumber and carrot garnishes”>, curl-tinis (a sangria type drink created by Lorraine”>, a guess-the-number-of-curls-in-the-jar activity and raffle. The night ended with a stream of newly curled and waved girls leaving the party with goody bags filled with DevaCurl products, a galley of the book, Curly Whirly candies and M&M’s that said “Curly Girl: The Handbook.” Curly or straight, a good time was had by all!
My beautiful curls.
They say that the “first cut is the deepest” and that’s exactly how I felt the first time I got my hair cut after deciding to stop chemically straighten my hair. After months of hating my locks and hiding them behind a ponytail, I decided I needed a trim. After all, I know that cutting your mane helps it grow and my straight ends were looking really sad and split. I also know that the more straight hair I cut off, the closer I get to being a curly girl. But since my hair has two personalities right now – curly until a few inches below my ears and straight from there to a few inches below my shoulder, I wasn’t sure where and how to get it cut. Should I go to the salon where I usually take my straight strands? Or hit a curly hair salon for the first curly cut of the rest of my life? I knew the former would blow dry and flat iron my hair straight and I admit having smooth strands (or at least strands that were all doing the same thing”> was tempting. But I couldn’t bare the thought of the curls I do have being subjected to all that tugging, trauma and heat. Right now my hair may not look good, but I do love the fact that the top half is the healthiest hair I’ve had in six years. These virgin strands have never been shampooed (I use DevaCurl No-Poo which doesn’t contain harsh detergents”>. They’ve never been touched by a brush (I finger comb my hair in the shower when it’s slathered in conditioner”> or felt the heat of a blow dryer or flat iron (I air dry even on the coldest days”>. Not one chemical has touched their surface, but rather they’ve been given almost as much tender loving care as my two children when they were newborns. (Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but not much of one!”> In light of this, I decided that part of committing to going curly was going to a curly salon. So I emailed Lorraine Massey (whose Curly Girl 2 book I’m co-writing”> and asked if she could squeeze me in for a cut. At first I thought she’d think I was nuts since I’m not a curly girl yet, but she happily made time for me one night after all her regular appointments.
Walking into Devachan that night, I felt a little silly since at first glance I still look pretty straight. But then I took a look at the other clients and was in awe of all the curls around me. Each head of hair was different and unique and I would have traded my strands for any one of them. They looked healthy and natural. They looked free. And all the women whose heads they sat upon looked beautiful. No matter how thin, fat, tall or short these women were, they looked gorgeous. So if I hadn’t been ready to drink the curly Kool-Aid yet, this was my turning point. Of course, my excitement was tempered when I sat in Lorraine’s chair and saw my reflection in the mirror. The hair that I rationalized looked okay these last few months looked awful. Even though I joke that there are two personalities of hair on my head, I’ve kind of thought that the curly part just added volume and that the difference between the two wasn’t so striking. I guess being surrounded by mirrors that showed every inch of my head –front and back and sides- showed me the truth. Then Lorraine went to work, spritzing my dry hair with a tad of lavender spray and snipping away. She encouraged me that my curls were growing and that I was on my way. Then she told me that I didn’t have to spend the rest of my growing out phase in a ponytail. I wasn’t sure what she meant since I knew blow-drying my hair straight was a suggestion that would never come out of her curlcentric lips. “You can curl the bottom using clips and a bit of gel,” she said. “Really?” I said skeptically. But then she showed me how. She took the straight ends of my hair, spritzed them a bit and applied some gel, wrapped them in little clips and left them in my hair for about ten minutes while I sat under a hooded dryer. Then she took them out and voila, I had wavy, gorgeous hair. I looked the girls I’d envied just half an hour ago. I couldn’t believe it. I was reminded what I looked like curly and I liked it. The difference was so striking. I actually loved my hair. Yes, loved! Of course, this was just short-term passion because once wet they’d go back to straight, but I couldn’t believe how good it made me feel to have my hair done. I didn’t pay enough attention to what Lorraine to be able to replicate it myself, but I know next time I get a hair cut I will. And I also realized that if I do have a special occasion or want to give myself a lift, going to the salon for a little curling will do the trick. It’s something so simple and so small, but this realization lifted me up and filled me with motivation just when I was feeling weary from the marathon of going curly.
I’m a naturally curly girl. There, I’ve said it! This may not sound major—especially on a site dedicated to curly hair—but it’s a fact I’ve denied for almost six years now. Like many curly girls, I grew up with hair I couldn’t handle, hair that had a mind of its own. It never looked like the shiny, silky hair I saw on TV or in magazines and how it looked was a barometer for my mood. So when I heard about Japanese straightening, I was intrigued. As a beauty writer, I’d done several articles on it before the light bulb went off that I should try it. And so I did. It wasn’t like me to do something so drastic but I didn’t care. I remember sitting in the stylist’s chair on that brisk October day as he ran his fingers through my hair. “Are you sure you’re ready for poker-straight strands?” he asked. “It may be flat at first.” Truth be told, I didn’t care if I looked like Marcia Brady. I couldn’t stand another day of frizz and fuzz, and as the mother of a one-year-old, I had no time or energy to spend on my curls. My straightening results were fabulous! Finally, I had shiny, soft strands that blew in the wind. Sure, they were flat, but they were straight. They didn’t frizz after the sweatiest workout or on the most humid day. I no longer cared if it rained. I thought I discovered Nirvana! I loved my straight hair so much that I didn’t care that my husband said he liked it better curly. (That’s love—of my hair!”> Every day was a good hair day and I got lots of compliments. I never thought I’d go back to curly.
Cut to six years later. It’s time to get my hair straightened again, but I just can’t do it and there are a few reasons why. First, I am tired of the flat, straight look. Second, I hate the feeling that the moment I step out of the salon after a straightening, the curly hair time clock is ticking. I constantly feel the back of my hair and get depressed when I feel little bumps of curls sprouting underneath my silky strands. Third, I’ve noticed some gray hairs and know that coloring and straightening is too much for my poor locks to handle. Lastly, I’m working with curl guru Lorraine Massey (co-owner of the Devachan Salons”> on her second book, “Curly Girl 2”. As a result, I’ve interviewed almost a hundred women who grew up hating their curls like I did, but who have finally learned to treat them right and actually say they love their hair. Yes, love. Imagine that! Armed with so much more knowledge than I had six years ago, I now know how to make my curls look good. Too bad I don’t have them anymore!
That brings me to the whole point of this blog. I’m going to document this journey of going straight. I know it’s not going to be easy. After all, I will spend the next year—or more!—with two textures of hair on my head. It’s also quite emotional. For example, the other day, I was getting ready for a work event and couldn’t stand how my schizo hair looked. Like a drug addict going through withdrawal, I was scrolling frantically through my Blackberry for the number of the salon where I get it straightened. When I found it, I slipped into the corner of the room and whispered about making an appointment because my husband—who was excited when I announced that I was going back to curly—was in the other room. I’m happy to say that I pushed past the straight-hair craving, canceled the appointment and am still on this journey. I know there will twists and turns (pun intended”> along the way, but I am ready!
