Give Me a Head with Hair!

My hair has always been a big part of my life. I have always had really curly hair. When I was little, I didn't put much effort into fixing my hair. I would wash it and go. As I got older, I would always brush my hair, and unknowingly, brush my curls out. It also became thicker and frizzier and harder to manage. I didn't style it in any particular way.

Then over Christmas break of my sixth grade year, the life of my hair changed forever. My cousin Ellen said she really wanted to style my hair. She showed me how to bring out my curliness! I returned to school in January with my curly hair and some new make up. When I walked into class one boy said, "Whoa, what happened to you?" I think he was giving me a compliment, but at the time it sounded like my new look was more appalling than appealing. I think he was surprised by my much curlier and fuller looking head of hair. Since the sixth grade, I have done just about everything you could think of to fix my hair. I wore it curly most of the time, but I also straightened it A LOT! My straight hair was my parents' least favorite style, but in my defense, I could manage my straight hair better than my frizzy curls.

However, the older I get the more I appreciate my hair. It doesn't take much time to fix, but if I do not treat my hair right when I get out of the shower, then it is a bad hair day all day long!

Tips for curly hair:

But if you do not have curly hair you may find some of these useful as well.

1. Do not pat, rub, or wrap your hair with a towel when you get out of the shower (or just get it wet). Instead, squeeze the water out with your hands before you step out of the shower. Then you can put the towel on your shoulders so water does not drip all over you, but do not put pressure on your hair.

2. Have some spray in conditioner on hand. Spray your hair and comb it. Do not use a brush, but use any type of comb. This is something I have only recently done in the past year, but it really helped my hair to curl better.

3. Apply whatever product is needed, but do not overload. As a teenager, I probably applied 4 or 5 different things to my hair every morning. My mom would walk in my room and say that it was too smelly from all of the products I was using. Now I only use 2 products (if you don't count the spray in conditioner).

I have used every curly haired product that exists, and now I know the best ones out there!

Best Shampoo and Conditioner: Pantene Pro-V for Curls, but Frizz Ease is also really good. For the more expensive stuff, Bumble and Bumble is great!

Best Mousse: Suave Professionals, Healthy Curls Scrunching Mousse. This is the cheapest mousse, and I can only find it at Wal-Mart. CVS carries it sometimes, but it is rare that is in stock.

Best Gel: Pantene Pro-V Style for Curls

Best Touch Up: After hair has dried or later in the day when you need a touch up, use Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon, Flawless Finishing Creme

I could go with just mousse, but I use just a small (dime size) amount of gel to help prevent frizz. If hair is still soaking wet, it is ok to squeeze out water again, but this should be the last time you touch it until it is dry.

4. After you have put the product in DO NOT TOUCH IT AGAIN! Touching your hair creates more frizz. The less you touch it, the better off it will be.

5. Curly hair does better when it is completely air dried. If your hair is dripping, put a t-shirt on your shoulders, instead of a towel. This prevents your back or clothes from getting wet, and the t-shirt material does better for your hair. I think it does not absorb as much moisture as a towel would. If you need it to dry it quicker, use a diffuser with your hairdryer. Just be careful not to touch it with your hands too much (reduce frizz, which is my main problem).

Have a good hair day!