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13 Tips For Taming Frizz In Curly Hair

People with curly hair often complain about frizz. “My hair is a frizz ball!” “I look like a poodle!” “My hair is out of control!” “Hey I am over here behind my frizz!” “Help!” I hear these complaints and more nearly every week.

The first thing I usually tell my frizz-stricken clients is to take a deep breath, relax and know that curly hair will always have some frizz. It is ok. I love how in her book, The Curly Girl Handbook, Loraine Massey affectionately refers to frizz as a halo. It’s simply part of the deal that when you have been blessed with curly hair, then you will have some frizz too.

But frizz still seems to be the arch-nemesis of many a curly haired soul, and since I love my curly peeps, I am writing this blog to offer some help. There are steps you can take to minimize the amount of frizz in your hair.

Here are 10 tips for taming frizz:

1. Use a sulfate-free shampoo – Sulfates, such as sodium laurel sulfate, are harsh detergents that remove all the dirt from your hair, but they also strip your hair of its natural and beneficial oils. This dries out your hair and causes it to be more frizzy. I like Innersense Pure Harmony Hairbath, Ouidad Nourishing Oil Shampoo and DevaCurl Delight Low Poo.

2. Hydrate with conditioner – Applying a good hydrating conditioner to your hair after cleansing is a must. For medium to coarse curly hair, I prefer Innersense Hydrating Cream Conditioner, Ouidad Curl Quencher Conditioner and DevaCurl One Condition.

3. For 2C, 3A-3C and 4A-4C curls, use a leave-in conditioner for extra moisture. I like Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control Cream, Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In Conditioner and DevaCurl Decadence Leave-In Conditioner.

4. Apply a curl defining product when your hair is wet. After rinsing out your conditioner ring your hair out gently with your hands, flip your head upside down and apply your styling products, including your leave in conditioner, when your hair is dripping wet. If you like using gel, my favorite is the DevaCurl Light Defining Gel.

5. Use a microfiber towel or a t-shirt to ring out your hair. After you have scrunched in your favorite curl styler, then flip your head upright, create your part (I like zig zag parts for volume) and then use a microfiber towel or a t-shirt to squeeze out the excess moisture from your hair. Do not use a terrycloth towel which could rough up the cuticle of your hair and cause frizz.

6. When drying your hair with a diffuser, set the air speed on low and use either cool air or low heat.

7. Finish your styling with a few drops of essential oil to seal in the moisture, add shine and control frizz. I like Natulique Argan Oil and Innersense Harmonic Healing Oil.

8. Add a spray shine such as Natulique Ultra Shine Finisher with rose petal oil for extra hydration and shine. Curly hair absorbs more light than straight hair and so the more shine the better.

9. Be conscious of how you sleep on your hair. For the best chance of achieving frizz-free second and third day curls, place your hair in a “pineapple” on the top of your head. Either wear a bonnet made of silk or satin or sleep on a pillowcase made of silk or satin. In the morning, let your hair down, spritz with a curl revitalizer, scrunch and shape your curls with your fingers and you are good to go. My favorite curl revitalizers are DevaCurl Mist-er Right and Ouidad Botanical Boost.

10. Treat your curls to a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment as often as you can. Deep conditioning once a week would be great, but once a month is definitely better than never. A deep condition mask will infuse your curls with moisture and keep frizz to a minimum.

11. Once you have completed styling your hair, try not to touch it after that. If you are running your fingers through your hair, twirling it, or flipping it around, etc. you are breaking up your curls and creating frizz. I know its hard, but I am just saying.

12. Don’t put your purse strap on your hair. Also, if you are wearing a scarf, try to avoid wool because your hair will rub on it and get frizzy.

13. Don’t stress out if you have some frizz. Like I said earlier, having some frizz is a fact of life for curly girls. If you are stressed out, I can almost guarantee that your hair will get frizzier because you will be obsessing about it, touching it and making your problem worse. Also, frizz creates volume, and big hair is in. Try to celebrate your curly halo! You are a divine being my friend.

Are Hairstylists Essential Workers?

After being forced to shutdown for seven weeks because of Covid-19, I began to wonder what an “essential worker” was. Apparently, the government had decided that I and my staff were not essential. It seems, however, that our clients felt differently.
I was grateful when we were allowed to return to work and see our curly clients again. I was surprised, however, by how desperate many of them were to see us. I heard story after story of how they had tried to cut and color their own hair during the lockdown. Some had taken their household scissors and began snipping curls here and there. Only a little bit of fixing was needed for these people. Others had attempted to give themselves a complete haircut, and this usually required more work to correct.
One of my clients who had tried cutting her own hair said she thought she looked like a “homeless poodle”. “Please help me reenter the human race,” she begged.
Another woman tried to give herself a Deva Cut, but her hair ended up looking like an inspiring design for a skateboard park.
One woman convinced her husband to cut her wavy hair into an A-Line bob. Needless to say, it did not turn out as she had hoped. Her hair looked like a bumpy ski slope.
Some of my clients asked me to send them hair color and then they enlisted their roommate or significant other to apply the color for them. These people were usually satisfied with the results. Others experimented with coloring their hair using seemingly innocent products such as henna or box color that they had purchased in a supermarket. Fixing these color disasters usually took more than one appointment.
Our pandemic era meaning of “essential work” refers to work that’s needed to meet basic human needs and safety during the shelter in place order. In my conversations with my clients, I was amazed by the suffering that many of them had experienced when they were unhappy with how their hair looked. It occurred to me that being happy with one’s appearance is a basic human need. The amount of gratitude and relief that my clients expressed after I had done their hair again was humbling. It made me realize that we hairstylists are providing a valuable service and are in fact satisfying basic human needs. Hairstylists, it seems to me, are essential workers.

Don’t Do These 9 Things To Your Curly Hair

Due to Covid-19, we have all been spending more time at home lately. For some curly girls and guys, this has meant too much time looking in the mirror and fixating on their hair. Ever since Devana Salon reopened for business after the pandemic shutdown, I have seen a steady stream of self-inflicted hair disasters. I have been amazed by the diversity of ways that my clients have managed to destroy their hair. Although usually I am able to fix the problem and my clients and I can laugh about it afterwards, there are times when the damage will take longer to repair.
Here is a list of 9 things to avoid doing to your curly hair during a pandemic, no matter how bored you are:
Do not color your hair using henna hair color.
Henna hair color may seem harmless since it is made from botanical ingredients, but it is very hard to change your hair to a lighter hair color if you have put henna in your hair. Highlights are nearly impossible to add to hair that has been colored with henna. My recommendation is to only use henna hair color if you intend to stay with that hair color for a long time. If you are the type of person who likes to change your hair color often, do not use henna.

2. Don’t cut straight across bangs
Cutting straight across bangs on curly hair may appear easy, but it actually requires skill to achieve a desirable look. I have had clients come to me with bangs that they cut that sprung up to their hairline and made them look like a two year old. Some have cut their bangs so wide that they look like they have receding hairlines. Some curlies have cut a shelf into the sides of their hair when trying to create face framing.

3. Do not give yourself highlights using bleach and a cap with holes in it
This method of highlighting should be left to Cosmetology school students and their mannequin heads. It is virtually impossible to place highlights in the most flattering places around your face and throughout your hair when you are pulling your curls through a cap. Unless you want to look like a cross between a zebra and leopard don’t highlight your hair this way.

4. Do not ask your spouse to cut your hair into A-line bob
It is a brave and foolish spouse who will attempt to give you a drastically different haircut than the one you already have. Although, the blame really falls on you for asking him or her to cut your hair in the first place. Unless you want to look like a Christmas tree that is falling to one side, do not ask anyone but a talented hairstylist to give you an A-line bob. It takes practice to make this haircut look good!

5. Don’t try to give yourself sun-kissed highlights by putting lemon juice in your hair.
Although the combination of lemon juice and sunshine will speed up the lightening process, it will also dry your hair out, and it could damage your hair and leave it feeling like straw. It might also turn it orange and make your hair looking splotchy. Not a good look!

6. Do not color your hair red or black using box dye that you buy at the grocery store.
This is a guaranteed way to mess up your hair because red and black are very difficult to remove from your hair. My experience with box dyes are that they can make your hair feel dry and brittle, especially after repeated applications. Unless you want to remain red or black for a long time, and you don’t mind having straw like hair, then do not put these colors on your hair.

7. Do not shave your head.
Unless you are shaving your hair for charity, doing it to support a sick friend, or are facing the prospect of loosing your hair due to chemotherapy, I highly recommend keeping your hair on your head. I feel compassion for those who have lost their hair because we look best with hair on our heads. That is one of the reasons we have it there.

8. Don’t bleach your entire head and expect it to look good.
Bleaching all of your hair can go wrong in so many ways. If you are lucky enough to still have hair on your head after you have saturated it in bleach, there is a good chance it will be damaged, broken, blotchy and possibly orange. None of these are good looks. Do yourself a favor and put down the bleach and walk away.

9. Do not try to add volume to your hair by cutting 1” layers at the crown.
Unless you want to look like a tropical bird doing a mating dance, do not cut your hair 1” long at the top of your head. This is only a good idea if your hair is already very short and it is best to let a professional hairstylist do this for you.

8 Tips For Beautiful Second and Third Day Curly Hair

In this busy world of ours, everyone wants to save time when possible. One of the best ways to save time is by learning how to make your curly hairstyle look good for two or three days without having to rewash and style every day.

The most critical component of making your curly hairstyle look good on the second and third day is being mindful of what happens to your hair while you sleep. Here are some tips you can use to increase the odds that your hair will look good for a few days after you shampoo and style it.

1. Before you go to bed, place your hair into a ponytail on the top of your head. Do not wrap the hair around the ponytail into a bun, but rather allow the hair to fall around the base of the ponytail. This will protect the outer canopy of your curls from being flattened and disturbed by rubbing between your head and your pillow. This technique is called “pineappling” because your hair looks kind of like a pineapple on the top or your head.
2. Fasten the ponytail with a scrunchy, Invisibobble or a strip of fabric. These methods of securing your ponytail will not cause your curls to be creased or to become tangled and break when you take your hair out of the ponytail. Avoid using an elastic band.
3. Replace your cotton pillowcase with a silk or satin pillowcase. There are two reasons for this. First of all, silk and satin create less friction on your hair and will therefore cause less frizz. Secondly, cotton absorbs more moisture from your hair than silk and satin do. By absorbing moisture from your hair, a cotton pillowcase causes your hair to dry out and become frizzy.
4. An alternative option to the silk or satin pillow case is to wrap a silk or satin scarf around your head or wear a silk or satin bonnet.
5. If you don’t toss and turn a lot when you sleep, then when you lie your head down onto your pillow you can spread your hair out above your head like a fan. This will prevent you from sleeping on your curls and will allow them to remain undisturbed.
6. When you get out of bed in the morning, spritz your hair with water, or better yet, with lavender water. This will reactivate the styling products that you already have in your hair. Scrunch your curls with fingers, reshaping them and placing them where you like them. Lavender water can be made by putting a few drops of essential lavender oil into a spray bottle containing filtered water.
7. If you have an oily scalp which causes the roots of your hair become oily, try using a dry shampoo between wet shampoos. A dry shampoo, such as Innersense Refresh works well. Apply Innersense Refresh by parting your hair into sections and applying with your fingertips. The shampoo will dry and absorb the oil and dirt so you can go another day or two before shampooing again.
8. If all else fails and you still can’t get more than one day out of your style before having to rewet your hair and style all over again, don’t give up hope. In your case, I recommend creating an altar in a quiet place in your house and praying to the curly goddess. Hopefully, Divine intervention can help. If not, you will just have to rewet your hair and start over. Luckily, showers feel good.

What Your Curly Hair Style Says About You

Now that hair salons have been allowed to reopen in Colorado, I am impressed more than ever by the importance of having a good hairstylist, one that understands you and the look that you want to present to the rest of society. Many of my curly haired clients have told me that one of their most pressing goals, after the Covid-19 stay-at-home order was lifted, was to get a haircut. This made me wonder why our hair is so important.
It is obvious that our relationship with our hair is extremely intimate and complex. As anyone who’s gotten a really good, or bad, haircut knows, hair is so much more than just a look. It can be a reflection and reinforcement of who you are. Your hairstyle is intensely personal and, at the same time, totally public. Sometimes your hair speaks for you, even before you say a thing. It becomes a statement of who you are, and a sign of your identity.
This is why we spend so much time perfecting how our hair should look. We constantly search for the most suitable haircut, color, and texture. We are using our hair to speak, and trying, through our hairstyle, to express key aspects of our soul and to communicate some of the deepest truths about who we are.
Hair has played an important role in people’s confidence and self-image for as long as their have been hair growing people on Earth. As long ago as the Greek and Roman empires, detailed wigs were symbols of wealth and stature in society. Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, was famous for her thick, black hair. The Bible’s Samson had long hair that symbolized divine power. I imagine that even Cavemen and Cavewomen helped each other wash and style their hair.
Hair symbolizes physical strength and virility. It is a symbol of instinct, of female seduction and physical attraction. It is no wonder, that the appearance of our hair is so important to us.
If you want to change your identity, a trip to the salon could go a long way to doing just that. A new hairstyle signals that you have changed. So what messages are you sending with your current hairstyle? Here are some thoughts about what your hair is quietly, or loudly, saying to the rest of the world.

Bouncy Curls: You celebrate uniqueness

Curly hair is often associated with a fun-loving, warm hearted and outgoing personality. If you have curly hair you are perceived as being courageous, outspoken, and spontaneous. You are probably someone who likes to challenge perceptions and norms. You celebrate your uniqueness and value your roots. Unkempt bouncy curls give you a playful vibe. Your curliness helps the rest of society loosen up and connect to our essential nature.

Red hair: You blaze with passion

You blaze with passion and excitement. Your personality traits include leadership, love, passion, insight, dynamism, intuition, and expressiveness. You are a catalyst for change and you heat up the world around you.

High Ponytail: You are full of energy

The high ponytail suggests that you’re energetic and sporty. You bring life into a room. This look makes you look younger and emits a goal-oriented aura. You like to cut to the chase by saying what you need and how you want it accomplished. You are straightforward and a dynamic person to work with. You make it fun to get things done and you keep the rest of us from getting too complacent.

Loose Beach Waves: You embody confidence

If you wear your hair in beachy waves that’s summer-ready all year round, you are probably perceived as confident and a freedom lover with high energy. You inspire people to let loose and dance both physically and mentally.

Natural gray: You are wise and free

Many women who choose to allow their hair to be naturally gray project a level of security with their appearances. They are showing off their wisdom and their freedom from societal pressure to conform. Women who grow out their gray hair are embracing their inner Wild Woman and are not afraid in revealing this significant side of themselves. They are a blessing to our society.

Unconventional hairstyle: You are full of surprises

If your hairstyle is a unique cut and color, you are probably an artist who loves stepping out of the box. Getting a unique haircut says that you’re fun to be with and that you are rebellious. Your hairstyle shows off your creative personality and carefree spirit. Your expressiveness makes the world a far more interesting and exciting place.

The virtues and properties of a person are said to be concentrated in his or her hair. So to all you curly haired people, I welcome you back to Devana Salon, where our mission is “to inspire and embrace natural hair, beauty and spirit”. We look forward to helping you present your unique soul to yourself and to the world.

Be well, be free, and be beautifully curly.

Where Devana Salon Stands On The Current DevaCurl Crisis

At Devana Salon, our number one concern is the health and integrity of our clients’ curly hair. With this in mind, we offer three product lines that we have found to be excellent for the care and styling of naturally curly hair: Innersense, Natulique and DevaCurl.

Over the past few months, a growing number of social media influencers have been claiming that DevaCurl products have caused damage to their curls and even hair loss. A group of these people have gotten together to file a lawsuit against DevaCurl. This has obviously become an enormous public relations problem for DevaCurl. As we, at Devana Salon, hear from both sides on this issue, we are trying to decide what is best for our clients. We are finding that many of our clients want to continue using DevaCurl since they have had good experiences with the products and other people want to switch to Innersense or Natulique products.

My history with using DevaCurl goes back 14 years and I have always had positive results with DevaCurl products. The vast majority of my clients have liked using DevaCurl so it made sense to keep using the products. A small percentage of my clients, maybe 1 in 100, has claimed that their scalp itches after using DevaCurl products. Although I don’t know why this happens, it is possible that they are allergic to one or more of the ingredients.

In order to provide a wider selection of product choices for our clients, I decided to bring in Innersense and Natulique. Natulique is an excellent botanical line from Denmark that has a high percentage of certified organic ingredients. Innersense is a wonderful botanical line from California that contains no parabens, sulfates or silicones and has a rare perfect score on the Think Dirty website, which rates the healthiness and potential harmfulness of products based on their ingredients.

The question remains, what should we do about DevaCurl while this current debate is being resolved. I asked our regional DevaCurl representative what DevaCurl has to say about the accusations and this is what she sent to me:

“We (DevaCurl) take our customer feedback seriously, always seek to provide a positive experience for our community, and have rigorous processes in place to insure that every one of our products meet strict internal quality assurance standards and regulatory requirements before they reach the market. Unfortunately, the key source of current concerns is hearsay and false rumors online. A thorough internal review of relevant products was conducted and as such, they do not cause hair loss or damage, have not undergone any major reformulations, and independent expert tests prove that there are no safety concerns with our products. The curly community can continue to count on DevaCurl to deliver fantastic products that help them love their curls. If any of your clients are experiencing issues, please reach out to us and we would be happy to look into it further.”

I, personally, believe that DevaCurl products are safe, but I am open to hearing all sides of the story. Hopefully, a clear and definitive resolution will soon be reached. In the meantime, we at Devana Salon will continue to serve our curly haired clients in the best way possible and keep striving to be the best curly hair salon in Denver.

The Best Type of Diffusers For Drying Curly Hair

One of the most useful tools for drying and styling naturally curly hair is a diffuser. Diffusers fit on the end of a blowdryer and diffuse the air coming out so that your curls can dry evenly while maintaining curl definition. Using a blowdryer without a diffuser will cause your curls to break up and become frizzy. Diffusers come in various shapes and sizes. In this blog, I will describe my favorite types of diffusers and give some pointers in how to use them.

First I will give you a brief description of how to prepare your hair to be diffused. Before diffusing, cleanse and condition your curls. If you don’t want to use a cleanser, you can just use a conditioner. After detangling with your fingers when you have conditioner in your hair, gently squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. Then flip your head upside down and apply your favorite styling product, scrunching upward to accentuate your curls or apply the product smoothing downward to elongate your curls. After you have the curl defining product in your hair, flip your head upright and create the part the way you like it. I often prefer a zig-zag part because it helps with root lift and forms an attractive head shape. Next, gently squeeze out the excess moisture with a microfiber towel.

In order to create more root lift and volume, you can use pin curl clips to lift up the hair around the crown of your head. The clips should be placed in a bricklay pattern with the handles facing up toward the top of your head. If you like the shape of your hair with the clips in place, then you will like the shape when your hair has dried.

Now you are ready to diffuse your hair. Since curly hair tends to be dry, I always recommend using either low heat or cool air and low airspeed.

Bowl Diffuser
The bowl diffuser is shaped like a bowl that attaches to the end of a blowdryer. The hot air comes out of holes on the inside of the bowl. You dry your curls by gently placing them inside the bowl and holding the diffuser still until the hair is dry. I like bowl diffusers for drying the mid shafts and ends of hair. This type of diffuser can also be used to dry the roots by holding the diffuser close to your head.
If you don’t want to use clips to create root lift, you can create some lift and volume by diffusing your hair upside down. Before you flip your upside down though, make sure you apply a product at the roots that will support the lift in your hair. My favorite products for creating root lift are: Innersense I Create Lift Volumizing Foam, DevaCurl Frizz Free Volumizing Foam and Natulique Root Lifter Volume Tonic. Once the roots are dry, flip your head upright and you will have more volume at the roots. Continue diffusing the ends of your hair. Squeeze your hair gently to soften the product. If you want more volume, flip your head over one more time and gently loosen your hair at the roots by rubbing your fingers along your scalp. Then flip your head back upright and position your curls the way you like.

Hood dryer
We use hood dryers in the salon because they mimic air drying while speeding up the drying process. Some of our clients purchase them to use at home. I recommend this because it is a great time saver and allows you to have your hands free while your hair is drying. Although these dryers are bulky, they come with wheels and can be stored out of sight in a closet when not in use. My favorite hood dryer is Venus Plus by Highland.

DevaFuser
The DevaFuser is shaped like a hand with five fingers that fits on the end of a blow dryer. The hot air comes out of holes in the front and back of the hand. This clever design is great for drying your roots because the fingers can be placed underneath your hair and give you some root lift. People with 4A, 4B and 4C always have a hard time drying their roots, and the DevaFuser is great for drying the roots of these curls because it diffuses air at the scalp.
One drawback of the Devafuser, however, is that it takes a long time to dry the mid shafts and ends of your hair since the air is blowing out of the fingers of the diffuser in all directions and is therefore less concentrated than a bowl diffuser. This is why I recommend the Devafuser for drying the roots and a bowl diffuser for drying the ends.

Travel Diffusers
How do you dry your curly hair when you are traveling? The answer is in a travel diffuser. Portable diffusers come in various designs. My favorite is The Curly Co. Collapsible Hair Diffuser. This diffuser is great for travel because it’s telescopic design allows it to fold into a smaller size so it can be easily packed into a suitcase or carry on bag.

7 Steps For Winterizing Curly Hair

During the winter, one of the biggest curly hair concerns becomes how to maintain moisture and keep your curls feeling healthy and looking great. Curly hair tends to be dry because the cuticle layer on the outside of the hair strand is raised and therefore allows moisture to escape from the hair. This can result in dry and frizzy hair which is made even worse by the dry winter air. With a few tweaks, the right products, and a good routine, your curls can survive the long, cold winter season as you count down the days until spring.

Here are some tips for keeping your hair moisturized during the dry winter months:

1. Sulfate free cleansers
Curly hair needs as much moisture as possible and so it is important to use cleansers that leave vital moisture in your hair. This is why sulfate-free cleansers are so good. Sulfate-free cleansers cleanse your hair and scalp while leaving important natural oils in your hair. Avoid cleansers with sodium laurel sulfate. Sodium laurel sulfate is a harsh detergent that will strip all of the good oils out of your hair.
You may decide to only use a sulfate-free cleanser once or twice a month and then cowash the rest of the time. Cowashing is done by using a conditioning cleanser the same way that you would use a shampoo. Scrub your scalp with the conditioning cleanser and rinse it off with water. Since it contains no sulfates or lathering detergents at all, it helps your hair maintain maximum hydration while it cleanses.
My favorite sulfate-free cleansers are DevaCurl No Poo and DevaCurl Delight Low Poo.

2. Use a leave-in conditioner
After rinsing out your conditioner, apply a leave-in conditioner to add more moisture to your curls. Apply the leave-in conditioner before you apply your styling products. One word of caution though: if you have fine wavy hair, a leave-in conditioner could way down your waves, so use it sparingly.
My favorites are Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave-In Conditioner and DevaCurl Decadence Leave-In Conditioner.

3. Apply styling cream and then seal in the moisture with a gel
Apply the styling cream first and then layer on some gel afterwards to seal in the moisture provided by the cream.
My favorite styling creams are Natulique Curl Defining Cream and Innersense Quiet Calm Curl Control.

4. Finish your styling with a few drops of oil
If you usually do not seal your hair with an oil, this season is an excellent time to start. By finishing your styling by applying a few drops of oil to the mid-shafts and ends of your hair, you are locking in the moisturizing properties of the conditioner and styling products, as well as keeping out the outside elements, such as the dry air from indoor heaters.
My favorites oils are Natulique Argan Oil and Innersense Harmonic Healing Oil.

5. Deep condition often
Frizzy curls can become beautiful ringlets when they are given enough moisture. Regular deep conditioning is one of the most important things you can do to add moisture to your hair. Fortifying your hair with nutrients, moisture, and protein helps prevent breakage and brittleness, and it keeps your curls hydrated. It is important to deep condition your hair year round, but in the dry winter months, you need to do it more often.
My favorite deep conditioners are DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture and Innersense Hair Masque.

6. Air dry or use the cool button on your blow-dryer when diffusing
Regularly using hot air to dry your hair may dry out your curls. Instead, try using the cool air button on your blow dryer or air dry your hair instead. Giving your hair a break from the hot air of a blow dryer will allow moisture to remain in your hair longer.

7. Substitute a silk or satin pillow case for cotton
Cotton pillowcases will absorb more moisture from your hair than silk or satin pillowcases. Also, cotton pillowcases create more friction on your hair and will therefore cause more frizz than silk or satin.

With a little extra effort and by following these tips you can keep your curly hair looking great all your round. Spring is just around the corner, or the next one. But until then, enjoy your curly hair, and don’t forget to make a snowman when you have the chance.

How To Know If Your Curly Hair Is Too Long

There may come a time when your curly hair is too long and it needs to be cut. I know this may seem sacrilegious to some curly girls, but at a certain point more length may detract from your appearance rather than making you look more beautiful. One time I had a client come to me for a haircut. She said she wanted a new look but she was terrified of losing any length. Her hair was so long that it came down to her knees! I cut off one inch. It wasn’t a new look but she was happy nonetheless.
I am always honest with my clients and I will tell them when I think that their hair is too long and is beginning to detract from their appearance. I base my recommendation on the following factors:

Face Shape
Extremely long hair tends to fall forward and narrow your face. If you have an oblong face, then what you want is to open your face and create width, but if your hair is too long it will make your face look even narrower and longer.

2. Body size
If you have a small body, then you can get lost behind your hair if your hair is extremely long. If you have a large body, hair that is too long can make your body look even larger.

3. Curl Pattern
The longer your hair is the heavier it will be and therefore the looser your curls will become. If you want your hair to have a tighter curl, then it might help you to cut it a little shorter. On the other hand, if you want your curls to have a looser, wavier curl pattern, then growing your hair longer could help loosen your curls.

4. Head Size
Everyone has a different sized head. If you have a small head, then extremely long hair will make your head look even smaller. What we are trying to accomplish in the salon is to show off your face not make it disappear.

Long curly hair is beautiful, but if it is too long it can detract from your appearance. A balance needs to be found where your hair is a length that is most appealing for your face shape, body size and curl type.

10 Things You Must Know If You Want To Grow Your Curly Hair Longer

Do you want to grow your hair longer? If so, you are not alone. Long hair seems to be a symbol of youthfulness, health, vitality, and fertility. Almost every day, I have clients who tell me that they want to grow their hair longer, and they often claim that they are having difficulty doing so. There are many reasons why you may be having difficulty growing your hair longer. Consider the following nine factors to maximize the length and appearance of your hair.

1. How quickly curly hair grows
The fact of the matter is that curly hair takes a longer time to grow longer because it grows in a curl, rather than straight down. But curly hair, as well as straight hair, usually grows about 1/2” per month. So with patience, and with a coordinated plan with your hair stylist, you can have longer hair.

2. Create a plan with your hairstylist
One of the most important things that you must do in order to grow your hair longer is to create an action plan with your hairstylist. It is vital that your hairstylist understands your goal, knows how fast your hair grows, and then cuts as little as possible off the ends of your hair that is giving you your length. The hair that is giving you your length is the hair that is growing below your parietal ridge. The hair that is growing above this, or wherever your stylist chooses to begin elevating, is the hair that your stylist uses to create an attractive shape. If you have curly hair, you don’t want a haircut where all your hair is the same length, unless you like the triangle look.

3. Don’t thin out or texturize curly hair
Do not allow your stylist to thin out or texturize your curls. Doing so makes the process of growing your hair out take much longer because it breaks up the ends of the curls and it creates frizz. Nobody wants their hair to have a frizzy and thin perimeter.

4. Plan regular haircuts
Split ends are your enemy. It is important to get regular haircuts when you are growing your hair longer in order to cut off split ends. Although split ends don’t look like they are going anywhere, they are actually splitting up your hair strand and making your hair shorter. When growing their hair longer, I recommend that my wavy clients (2A-2B) and curly clients (2C-3B) come for a haircut every twelve weeks, my super curly (3C-4A) clients come every four months, and my super curly (4B-4C) come every six months.

5. Hair density
The density of your hair plays an important role in how long you will want your hair to grow. If you are lucky enough to have thick curly hair, then you will be able to grow your hair longer without it looking too thin. However, if your hair is thin, then the longer it gets, the thinner it will look. I usually recommend that my clients with thin hair get a cut that maximizes the appearance of fullness rather than grow it so long that it looks too thin on the ends. Fullness is more attractive than length in these cases.

6. Spring factor
Your curl pattern plays a large role in how long your hair will grow. Very tight 4A-4C curls have a high spring factor and therefore take a long time to grow long. Looser 2A-2C waves achieve length more quickly because they have a smaller spring factor.

7. Curl pattern
Everyone’s curl pattern is unique. If the curls at the nape of your neck are tighter than the curls on your crown, then it will take longer for your hair to grow long because the hairs that are creating your length have a greater spring factor. If the curls at your nape are looser than those at your crown, then you will be able to achieve length faster. However, in both these cases, it is important that your stylist knows how to blend the differing curls together. For more information on this, see my blog on why it is important to cut curly hair dry.

8. Diet
Your hair is composed of water and protein (keratin). It is critical to drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet when you have the intention of growing your hair longer. Just like your doctor tells you, the best foods for your body is also good for your hair, so eat lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy stuff.

9. Supplements
There are vitamins and minerals you can take each morning that can support healthy hair growth. A supplement with keratin, biotin, collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid, all the alphabetic vitamins, or any combination of the above can help your hair grow longer and stronger. But even if your are taking supplements, it will require patience to grow your hair longer. The key to getting the best results is to be consistent with the supplements and commit to them daily for at least six months.

10. Genetics
Eventually, based on your genetics, your hair will grow as long as it will grow. The ultimate length that your hair can grow is is a factor of the amount of time your hair remains in the follicle before a new hair grows into the follicle and pushes the old hair out. This length of time is different for everyone and appears to be inherited genetically. If you are genetically predetermined to grow hair for 18 months before a new hair starts growing into the follicle, then you will be able to grow your hair about nine inches long before it falls out. If you can grow your hair for 60 months before a new hair grows in the follicle, then you can grow your hair 30 inches long. I know it’s not fair, but that is the way life is sometimes.

By coordinating with your hair stylist and following a plan, you will be able to maximize the length of your curly hair.

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