Take Care of your Curls
Accept your curls, don't fight them
Hairstyle trends come and go, as does the perceived stylishness of curly hair. Those blessed with curly hair too often try to conform by having their hair straightened, or otherwise treated like straight hair. Be proud of your curls. Following are some problems encountered in treating curly hair both at salons and at home.
Straightening curly can hair damage it See before and after photos on our Instagram page. Blowouts, flat irons, and any of the numerous straightening techniques are temporary and inevitably leading to to weak curls,or straightened ends with damaged, frizzy hair.
Chemicals and detergents that damage A variety of haircare products, both regular and curly hair-specific, can damage your curly hair. Shampoos for general use are among the worst culprits, containing sulfates (sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium lauryl / laureth sulfate, for instance.) These are formulated to clean hair as thoroughly as possible, and in so doing make curly hair dry and frizzy. Curly hair can contain less natural oil and these products can strip away what oil is there, dehydrating and damaging hair. Relaxers, keratins and Brazilian blowouts coat the hair, temporarily relieving frizziness but in the long run damaging the curl formation.
Combs straightens curls, not style it Combs can weaken the curl if you have swavy, wavy, and botticelli curls.
Humidity, dewpoint and your hair. Minnesota's environment is among the most challenging for those with curly hair. A wide range of temperatures, humidity and dew points create vastly different conditions to which your curly hair will react. Dew point is the most accurate measure of moisture content in the air and curly hair reacts dramatically to this moisture in the air. For optimal control, before taking a shower find out what the dew point will be for the day. When conditions are dry, as in the winter, and the dew point is low (30 and under), use a richer, thicker conditioners. When it is high (60 and over), conditioners containing humectants, examples being glycerin, honey, propylene glycol, and panthenol/vitamin B5. Ask your stylist about the best products for your hair relative to seasons and other conditions. Two good online articles that expand on this issue are at Curly Nikki and Naturally Curly. The coolest app is from Naturally curly. This app is called Frizz Forcaster in which you put in your zip code, and hair type. The app will then tell you the dew point, humidity, and what products you should use. A combination of styling and care will make your curly hair prettier, healthier and more controllable. With curly hair there will be some degree of frizziness. If optimized it can give curly hair more volume and texture. Each individual case is unique. Twisted Hare takes a holistic approach to each client's curly hair, offering in-salon treatments, products and recommendations to optimize the health and appearance of curly hair.
