9 Ways to Damage Curls
Wearing Large Earrings
As stunning as they are, large earrings can cost you a strand or two each time you wear them when they get tangled in your hair. However if you are a curly who can’t bear to part with your statement pieces do not be discouraged you can still rock them by following these tips.
The Solution:
Wear your hair up when wearing elaborate earrings that are prone to getting tangled in your hair. Not only will this protect your hair but it will also enable you to really showcase your earrings instead of them being hidden behind your hair
Use clear nail polish to paint inexpensive earrings to prevent them from chipping and getting snagged in the hair. This will also help to prolong the life of your earrings by preventing them from fading.
Scarves
As most of us know a vibrant scarf can add much needed color and pizzazz to an otherwise dull outfit or really help to pull it together. However what you may not know is that the cotton in your scarf can be damaging to your nape hair. The cotton material can pull moisture out of your hair and the strands can catch on the rough cotton fibers and cause split ends or breakage.
The Solution:
To avoid this problem try wearing silk scarves that have a smoother texture so your hairs won’t get trapped and a tighter weave to prevent it from absorbing your moisture. Also try purchasing scarves that are not so wide that they rub against your nape.
Protein Overload
It’s common knowledge among naturals that whilst protein is needed to strengthen our hair too much of it will leave it dry, crispy and ready to snap if looked at the wrong way. Thus most curlies avoid products laden with protein. However there are quite a few sneaky proteins like soy and wheat that hide way down in the ingredients list of our products. For the average curly this should not be a problem but for the protein sensitive curly that daily dose of protein can dry your hair out over time. So if your hair is forever dry no matter how much you moisturize it then try this tip:
The Solution:
For one month, try using products that contain no proteins and see if the health of your hair improves.
Dull Trims
Trimming or dusting regularly is imperative to the healthy look and feel of our hair as split ends can cause it to feel rough, tangle easily and appear frizzy. However picking up any old pair of scissors to do the job can make the situation worse. Dull scissors, like your kitchen shears or house scissors, are too dull and rather than cutting the ends of your hair cleanly they can rip shred and flatten them which can lead to more split ends.
The Solution:
If you intend to trim your own hair invest in a good pair of hair shears and never use them for anything other than trimming. Also make sure you sharpen them regularly.
Less Tools
As women we have tools to achieve just about any style we desire. However all of these various tools for smoothing, slicking, styling, stretching and so on can be wreaking havoc on our poor strands. This is especially true for curlies like me whose strands are so fine they barely exist. If you are noticing more than a few broken hairs on wash day and you’re a curly who lives and dies by her hair tools consider taking a break from them and going old school.
The Solution:
Use your hands for tasks like detangling and styling. Also try going back to basic hair styles that don’t require an assortment of barettes, clips, bobby pins and ponytail holders to keep them in place.
Thirsty Curls
While we all know that we should moisturize, our busy schedules can lead haircare to be placed on the back burner. It’s so easy to skip steps in our routines and throw our hair into a bun and adopt an “ain’t no body got time for that” attitude. When wash day finally rolls around we are often left with a dry tangled mess and tons of broken hairs. So if you’re a curly pressed for time then here are 2 tips to keep your hair healthy without haircare consuming your life.
The Solution:
Overmoisturize on day one. You may hate the feel of product coated hair or hair that is too defined but going crazy with your moisturizer on day one will keep your hair moisturized for longer so it won’t feel like you have your hands in your hair on a daily basis.
If you’re worried about frizz ruining a style when you moisturize but don’t want to wash and start fresh then try this cheat. At night moisturize your hair then separate the hair framing your face and at the crown. Apply a styler to the separated sections and twist or braid them. When you wake up the next morning unravel your hair and fluff. Your hair will be moisturized and the twisted/ braided hair will fall over the frizzy hair and give the illusion of a freshly done set.
Check Your Nails
Ensuring that you have well groomed nails when you style your hair is especially important for curlies who prefer to finger detangle and style. Nails with jagged edges can easily get caught in the hair repeatedly as you style and can get caught on strands as you work with your hair.
The Solution:
Before a hair session assess your nails and if it looks like they’ve been through a war simply grab a nail file and smooth them out.
Over styling
With a plethora of blogs and YouTube videos out there it can be so tempting to want to try every beautiful hair style we see. However constantly over-manipulating your hair for the sake of experimenting can cause it to suffer and prevent you from retaining length.
The Solution:
If you are a creative curly trying to grow out your hair then try to cut back on the elaborate hairstyles to about once or twice a month.
At-Home Protection
It’s obvious to most of us that we have to use scarves and bonnets to protect our hair at night but what about during the day? We constantly rest our heads on surfaces and if you’re like me then you are forever taking cat naps on the sofa.
The Solution:
Now don’t get me wrong I’m not condoning wearing a scarf or bonnet to work but when you’re at home and lounging around protect your hair to keep frizz at bay and retain moisture.
