Tools I can’t live without

I’ve found there are certain tools that help make my daily styling much easier:

~spray bottle - for when the top of your hair dries as you’re still applying product to the back

~alligator clips - keeping hair put

~wide tooth comb - I use only in the shower to evenly apply conditioner and remove tangles (any other time I use my fingers

~hair brush - great for removing hair from your hands and brushing the whispy pieces in a ponytail

~blow dryer with diffuser - dry your hair while maintaining the curl

~hard bonnet hair dryer - drying your hair with minimal damage and aiding the deep conditioners

~tee-shirt - squeezing out excess water, alternative to a towel, reduces the frizz factor

Dry your hair faster

My hair is very dense and super curly. Plus I hate having wet hair loaded with products dripping down my back and shoulders. That's why after reading about the Curly Girl method I became interested in purchasing a microfiber towel to dry my hair. I had been using tee shirts and while this was okay, they still left my hair too damp, were too cumbersome and took forever to dry themselves.

One day I was walking through Marshall's and came across their microfiber towel selection and at only $7.99, I decided to pick one up. I will never go back to using a tee shirt again!

I liked the length of the microfiber towel, it was perfect for wrapping around my head and held in place easily without being too heavy. I left it on for a few minutes and when I removed it, my hair was close to 50% dry. This to me is ideal for applying my hair products. I find when my hair is in this state it helps the products to stick better and I'm not annoyed with hair dripping down my face.

Now, if I could find one in a bath size.

Safely straighten your curly hair

If you are anything like me, sometimes you crave a little variety in your styles. I love love love my curly hair. I can stare at it and watch all the bends and curves all day. But there are those days when I want to see the length and just look different for a couple of days.

The safest method to straightening your hair is to roller set it (aka doobie set). While this won't get your hair totally straight, you'll still have some waves depending on your hair texture and how tight you put in your rollers. This method won't alter your curl and it will go back to its natural state when you add water to your hair.

Put the flat iron down! The promise of pin straight hair can be so appealing, but even one pass of the iron in your hair at a too hot setting can change your curl pattern and repeated use will cause breakage and fly aways. If you insist on using it, be sure to keep the setting low and no higher than 347 degrees. To read the study put out by the American Academy of Dermatology see http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2008/aad073008/downloads/Ceramic_Flat_Irons_and_Hair_Breakage.pdf.

To foller set your hair you will want to part your hair off into three vertical sections, going the long way down your head so you have a middle section and one section on either side. Try to keep these as even as possible. Pin up the two sides and start with middle going from top to bottom. I always section the very first piece and roll it second. This will ensure the front of my hair won't get a bend to it. Section the pieces into at most half inch pieces (more or less depending on the density of your hair). Roll the piece of hair, place bobby pins to keep them in place. I also like to use the velcro rollers. The hair does snag which is a con, however, my hair dries faster as the velcro rollers offers more ventilation and eliminates the need for bobby pins to keep in place (although I will use alligator clips in some instances). Once you're done with the middle it's time to work on the sides, one at a time. Further section the side into two pieces from top of the middle down to the ear. Continue to roll your hair. Sit under the hair dryer for about an hour. Drying times can vary depending on length and density of your hair. Get a good book or bring your laptop and read my website, www.wondercurl.comwhile you wait for your hair to dry.

After your hair is dry you may find it still has some bends or is too curly. Using a big round brush and your blow dryer, you can remove some more of the curl. Again, section hair into workable pieces and in a downward motion, work the brush and hair dryer through your hair. To use the round brush effectively, run the brush through sections of your hair avoiding the ends of your hair until your last pass with the brush. This will help minimize split ends. Don't use too much heat and become overzealous! Remember, your hair is not relaxed and won't get bone straight.

Please note, using any kind of heat to your hair has the potential to cause some damage to the hair. Roller setting causes the least amount of damage from blow drying and flat irons because it distributes heat evenly throughout your hair and there isn't all of the brushing you would have if you blow dried your hair from the beginning.

People with relaxed hair can also use this method to straighten their hair to prevent further damage to their hair.

When your family doesn't accept change

I've recently read an email from one of my friends about how her family isn't on board with her decision to go natural. This only made me sad and remember my own experience with my family when I first made the decision to stop relaxing my hair. I like to think of myself as a strong person, but at a certain point the words do get to you.

I decided to just go for the big chop. I didn't want to ease my way into my transition. After not relaxing my hair for about 6 months I went to my stylist and had her chop it all off. I went from having long hair to no hair and I loved it. Everyone complimented me. But when I got home all heck broke loose! It got even worse as my aunts and uncles saw me. This was back in 1998, before there were as many products and websites for curlies.

Fast forward, 12 years later, my family now comes to me for hair advice, and some have even opted to forego the relaxer for their natural styles. Sadly, there are still people who aren't as willing to accept change. When you aren't able to find the support you need from your family, you can go to different blogs and message boards where your hair will receive all the love it deserves. Just google words like 'natural hair', 'curly hair' and a myriad of sites will come up.

Good luck on your natural path, and don't be dismayed.

Caring for natural hair

By nature, curly hair is dry because the oils in your scalp aren't able to move down the hair shaft. Curls, to put it simply, inhibit this from happening. Also, curly hair is full of weak spots, each curl is a potential break point. By taking certain measures when working with my hair, I've found that I've been able to reduce breakage and even the amounts of hair I shed has lessened considerably.

Shampoo less often. I shampoo my hair once a week. I make sure the shampoo I use is pH balanced to not only cleanse and remove all the products I've used during the week. If I don't use shampoo, I do an apple cider vinegar rinse. Yes, my hair smells like a salad for a few minutes, but the smell goes away and the conditioner leaves a pleasant odour.

Deep condition. I try to deep condition my hair when I cleanse it with shampoo or the rinse. Deep conditioning treatments penetrates the hair and makes it smoother. This also makes detangling easier.

The last time I used a comb was last month. Before you get grossed out, I detangle my hair when I condition it with my fingers and again when I work the products through. Combs can snag, creating more breakage and tangles. Your fingers are gentler.

I also make sure each product I use serves a function.
First I add a leave in conditioner. See my post on Philip B, http://wondercurl.blogspot.com/2009/03/lovin-leave-in-conditioner-by-philip-b.html, it's one of the better ones I've found. It softens and reduces the frizz.
Second I use virgin organic coconut oil. It's very important to make sure it is virgin organic. Only this kind has been scientifically proven to penetrate the hair and make it stronger. For more information: http://wondercurl.com/Hair_tips/Entries/2009/2/2_Coo_Coo_for_Coconuts!.html
Third is aloe vera gel. Aloe is a best friend of curly hair, especially kinky hair. Its water properties works to moisturize without weighing down and also smooths away any frizz and works as the ultimate antihumectant. This is a product I don't think one can ever overuse,I know, I've tried.
You can stop there and get perfect curly locks, but as an added sealant for my hair I use Curlisto's Structura Lotion. This should be called miracle in a bottle. It adds extra shine and smoothness to hair as well as works as an antihumectant.

I usually let my hair air dry or I sit under the hair dryer if I'm in a rush.

The result is great curly hair every time.

Dying curly hair

I've read several different sites about how to dye curly hair and frankly I was intimidated by them. It made the whole idea downright scary. So I decided to figure out how I could dye my hair, and being the impatient person that I am, I wanted to do it easily and quickly.

First, I did take my time in the drugstore. I read all the different brands, read their ingredients and made the decision that I wanted a product with no ammonia, but was permanent. I finally came to Revlon Colorsilk. Not only was the price point perfect at only $3.00, it had no ammonia and claimed to make your hair better. Who doesn't want better hair? I bought two applications since my hair is very thick and wanted to be sure I had enough to saturate every strand. I wanted my hair only a shade lighter, about the colour of my eyes which is a medium to light brown depending on the light.

That night I read the instructions which told me to do a strand test, meaning I had to cut some hair and dye it the night before. I did as I was told and was happy with the results.

Now, for the heavy lifting...

I rinsed my hair the next morning to make sure it was clean and then blow dried it straight (not too straight of course but enough to get it dry and manageable). I began to work the dye throughout my hair. And as predicted, halfway through I ran out and had to apply the second application. As instructed I waited 25 minutes before rinsing out my hair. The entire process must have taken about an hour.

The results were fantastic. My hair felt softer and had less frizz. I was also pleased with the resulting colour. I didn't want anything too different. Now that it's summer, my hair will only get lighter and have natural highlights.

Stay tuned to read about my review of L'Oreal's new Everpure line. It sounds promising.

There comes a time in every curlie's life when she must decide if she should chemically relax her hair. Sometimes this happens shortly after she's 'transitioned' from relaxed hair and finds her hair to be new and uncharted territory. This can happen when she's just plain old sick of the frizz and bulk.

My girlfriend, a newbie to the curly circuit found the growth of her natural hair a bit more than she thought she can handle and so decided to have her hair 'bio softened' (which is just fancy for texturized) at Christo's Fifth Avenue.

The treatment isn't cheap, however I would urge any person contemplating using chemicals to alter her hair to seek out professional help (I mean a stylist!) to minimize any damage. She quickly learned that her 4b texture hair takes chemicals very quickly and as she gained the length she missed she found her hair to be a new texture unlike the natural and relaxed and has to learn a new cocktail to make it work.

Here is a direct quote: "I feel like a white woman with a biracial child. lol I am clueless as to what to do. Part of me thinks it was easier BEFORE the silkner - at least it wasn't stringy then... now it's stringy, yet bushy/frizzy, looks dry, these products they gave me make my hair feel dry, and it's just not what I expected. But I have length.... not sure if that makes up for the other stuff."

I don't blame her, when I first went natural I felt my hair was too thick to manage and started texturizing. I had to cut all of my hair and start over, this time I decided the only chemicals I will put in my hair are the ones I can rinse out. Everyone has to decide for themselves how they want their hair to look. It's all up to you, and if you don't like it, you can cut it and start over!