Where are all the highly textured heads of hair on TV? We long to identify with the physical characteristics of people on the screen. When I find someone with sky-high hair like ours, even if it’s just a commercial, I do my NaturallyCurly Happy Dance (I’m so trade marking that”>. Yes! We exist!
For my first installment of Curlies on TV, I’ll take you back to my childhood hair crush, Rudy Huxtable.
As the youngest of the Huxtables, Rudy was the adorable, adventurous and rambunctious girl in the family. She played football (Go Sweet Feet!”> and had comically simple advice for the older children’s problems. She never understood the things her older sisters did for love, and while she got into the kind of trouble youngest siblings always get into, she was always the sweetheart of the family.
Get the Look
Rudy Huxtable
I got a relaxer when I was around six years old. I can barely remember rocking afro puffs or side braids with the clickety-clackety ball barrettes on the end. But when I’d turn on “The Cosby Show,” Rudy always sported her natural hair in neat twists or a massive combed-out/blown out fro!
Rudy’s hair never played a pivotal role in her character the way, say, Denise’s fashion choices did. Her afro-textured hair was simply long and healthy! From what I can tell, Rudy’s hair was always stretched and had a beautiful sheen to it. Maybe Claire used a blow dryer and sealed in the moisture with some grease? Even when her hair was loose, it looked fluffy and moisturized. Claire had to be doing something right!
Blowout
There are two ways to replicate the Rudy Huxtable Mane of Glory: blowdrying and stretching the hair over time. Both can be time consuming, but blowdrying provides quicker stretch for same-day styling. Check out AfricanExport’s YouTube tutorial below. She’s definitely got that Rudy Huxtable Mane!
Since you’re using heat, remember to apply a heat protectant to each section before blowdrying. There are many heat protectants on the market from drugstore to high-end prices, but you can also use natural oils like coconut or grapeseed oil. They have a high smoke points, so even if you use the high setting, you won’t fry your fro! If you use comb attachment, be gentle! You don’t want to cause breakage by running the teeth through your hair too many times.
MORE: Low Heat Styling Tips for Coily Hair
Tension Method
An alternative is using the tension method. Swap the comb attachment for a concentrator attachment and pull your hair taut while smoothing the concentrator down the length of your hair. This is significantly reduces potential breakage and provides the same elongated look.
African Threading
If you’re determined to be heat-free, you can try the African threading method. Watch YouTuber GirlsLoveYourCurls super stretch her daughter’s hair below.
MORE: Stretching Natural Hair with African Threading
It’s more time consuming than blowdrying, but as you can see, your little one can rock the threaded braids for a day or two as a style. The key is the to thread the hair twice. The second time gives the hair that Rudy Huxtable sheen and smoothness!
Want to know what Rudy’s up to these days? Curly Nikki interviewed child star Keshia Knight Pulliam who’s now 33. She explains that her hair was always so big because they quickly ran brushes through it — ouch! Hopefully the videos above will help you achieve her childhood hair minus the pain.
