Embrace your curls!
- Grow it out or chop it!
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For the curly girls that are ready to quit their relaxers and texturizers and embrace their natural curls, the first step is to actually grow out your curls. If your hair is heat damaged (excessive flat iron/ blow dryer/ hot comb use even though you KNOW it’s going to get frizzy at the slightest drizzle or literally any humidity) or relaxed, the odds are that the way your hair/curls are not isn’t actually your “natural” curls. After a lot of heat and chemicals to train your hair to be straight, your beautiful, natural curl pattern loses its shape. Here are your options: Cut it or keep it. Many brave and confident queens do the big chop and cut off their damaged hair to start new. I personally wasn’t that brave, so I decided to grow all of my relaxed hair out and cut it in stages. You’ll eventually have to cut it so it’s really just a matter of when. If you’re nervous about cutting it, just know that It’ll grow back SO much faster once you do!
- Figure out your curl type
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If you haven’t heard, there’s a chart showing what your curl pattern is (linked here)! Some girls have big loose curls and other ones have really tight and coiled curls. All curls are not created equally! Some need more work than others. Try finding conditioners and hair products that work for your type! If you think that your hair is more than one type, that’s okay! The front of my hair is 4A but the rest is 3C. Some parts just need a little extra love and care, but it is definitely do-able!
- Read hair product labels
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For any type of hair, curly or straight, there are some things that we all need to look out for. Parabens, silicates, and sulfates are a no-go for any hair type. If you look on the back of a hair product bottle and see ingredients ending with -cone or any sulfate (this includes sulfosuccinate and sulfonate), put the bottle back on the shelf! Sulfates clean your hair, (the reason your hair might feel squeaky clean after shampooing) but it strips your hair of moisture! Silicates make for easy detangling, which is super important for girls with thicker and smaller curls, but it creates a barrier over your hair after a while and doesn’t allow any moisture in. Using silicates can dry out your hair after a while, so avoid it if you can! Parabens dry out your hair and make it super frizzy (which is NOT what we need), so avoid that one too! There’s a lot of brands that try to trick you into believing that their products are safe, but it’s all in the ingredients. If you want to dodge having dry and brittle hair, especially in colder seasons, use products that are silicate, sulfate, and paraben-free! I use Cantu because it is moderately inexpensive and has a lot of different products to try (hair masques, detangling and curl revitalizer spray, curl activators, and curl creams!) so I definitely recommend it! If you are ready to do a deep dive into the world of curly hair care, Shea Moisture is the absolute BEST. Words can not describe the curl definition you’ll have after using it. For ladies who like to dye their hair, oVertone and Gemini Naturals are color-depositing conditioners that both nourish your hair and have colors that show up on dark hair. Having wild hair is difficult to control, but finding the right products makes all the difference!
- Find styles that work for your hair (and don’t be afraid of protective styles)!
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A lot of my curly-haired friends used relaxers to straighten their hair so they didn’t have to “do more work”. In reality, protective styles are actually the lowest maintenance things ever! If you are afraid of doing the big chop but you don’t want your hair looking half-straight and half-curly (which was definitely me before I found the right products), you can always get braids/twists! Not only does it look awesome, but it also promotes hair growth and protects your ends from splitting. As long as you keep your hair hydrated, it should grow. For my friends who aren’t too keen on having braids or having their curls out all the time, there’s a lot of styles that can work. My go-to is two ponytails (or one for formal events) or half up half down. Since my hair is thick, it is usually easiest for me to style it in the shower while it is still wet. That’s just what works for me, but I’ve seen many girls twist their hair overnight and undo them in the morning. When finding styles, YouTube and social media are your best friend! If you like someone’s hair, don’t be afraid to ask how they did it! If you want to rock your fro just the way it is, do it!
I hope this article was informative for curly girls and non-curly girls alike! All hair types deserve love and your hair is your crown! Rock it however you’d like!