I read this book,
Curly Girl, a few summers ago and it changed the way I style and care for my wavy hair. In the winter months, I straighten my hair with my favorite
straightener because I like it better straight. But in the summer months, it's a losing battle so I go wavy. I learned several tips from Ms. Massey, author of
Curly Girl:
Use less shampoo. Shampoo strips your hair of natural oils and ruins your curls. Only use shampoo to
clean your scalp, your locks don't need it.
Condition the ends of your hair and then
run your fingers through your hair to evenly distribute the conditioner. Allow the water to run over your hair and then
do NOT disturb the curls afterwards. This means no towel wrapping, wringing or combing. Trust me on this one. You simply flip your head over and
use your hands or a towel to "scrunch" the curls to get the moisture out. Once out of the shower, use a small hand towel to continue to dry it by scrunching again until it's almost dry.
To style,
choose a clear light-weight styling product to hold the curls in place. Ms. Massey does not recommend a curling mouse - they can weigh your curls down.
Spray the gel in your hands and then scrunch and style the curls until you like the way they fall. I've used both
Pantene Curl Enhancing Spray Gel and
Suave Professional Captivating Curls Spray Gel with success. If you have one you love, please do share!
Continue to
scrunch the curls with a drying towel until your hair is dry or you're ready to leave the house. I think this works because it gets the moisture out of the bottom of the curls first, allowing them to spring up.
I hope you enjoy these curly hair tips! If you're interested in learning more, please read Ms. Massey's book. If you have any tips of your own to share, we'd love to hear them!
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