Search Results: Gretchen Heber
Often when we think of using oils as stylers, or really, even for conditioners, we think of it as being a good option for those with really kinky or coarse hair types.
But did you know that plenty of Type 2s and 3s use oils in their curls, too? Wavies and Curlies have found if they use the right types in the right quantities, they get good results. Some use olive and some use coconut.
Olive oil as a styler
Wavies and curlies have been using oil as a styler and sharing their results in their NaturallyCurly forum, CurlTalk, for years. “I got better definition, less frizz, more shine, and more voluminous curls with just using olive oil” reports CurlTalker GitaAndHair (2abc/3a”>. GitaAndHair, who’s from Jakarta, Indonesia, says affordable curly hair care products are hard to find in her city. “Now I can save more money as well since I’m ditching my gel,” she says. “I wish I had tried this sooner!”
Coconut oil as a styler
Cara4Curls, 2c/3a, tried coconut oil as a styler. “I applied the coconut oil instead of my usual gel, and wow, my hair just LOVED it! Before I applied the coconut oil, without gel, my hair is usually poofy.”
Type 3c curlies like using oils, too, for styling and conditioning. “When I’m done styling my hair, I’ll smooth down some oil (just a touch”> if I have any frizzies or extra dry bits. Or I’ll use some oil to ‘refresh’ my style after a few hours,” says 3c CurlTalker nana_banana.
Oils don’t work as stylers for everyone, though
Type 3a/3b Jeepcurlygirl, for example, uses oils for treatments, but not for styling. “I like the way it feels and it gives my hair shine, but as the day goes on it makes my hair stringy and I get a lot of halo frizz.”
2c/3a Guide 65 is also not a fan of oils as a styling agent: “Oils generally leave my hair stringy and oily looking, and pull out the waves.”
Oils as conditioners
Many 2s and 3s use oils as conditioners rather than as stylers. CurlTalker bomega, a 2c, says, “One thing that does work is to do an oil treatment with a good generous amount of oil the night before then shampoo/condition as usual the next morning. Clumps, curls, and even spirals the next day!”
Jeepcurlygirl, too, likes to use oils as a conditioner. “I do use oil as a pre-poo treatment, in my deep treatments, and I use it on dry hair if it’s going into a braid,” she adds. Type 2a CurlTalker Pedaheh says, “I have fine hair that loves coconut oil. Coconut pre-wash treatments are a holy grail for my dry to very dry hair.”
Avoid jojoba extract and avocado oil
Type 2s and 3s who try oils might want to stay away from jojoba extract and avocado oil as stylers, however, because they tend to coat rather than to penetrate. Hair that is coated in oil may appear “greasy.”
Keep in mind, of course, that everyone’s hair responds differently to various products. So what works for your neighbor might not work for you, or vice-versa. You have to try new things to see what works for YOU!
What about you? Are you a Type 2 or 3 who has used oils as a styler? How’d it work for you? Please share in the comments section below.
We’ve all — at one time or another — put some unusual things in our hair. We’ve raided the pantry and the refrigerator in pursuit of the perfect treatment for our locks. And who can forget that crazy bull semen craze?
Well, another bit of the pursuit-of-perfect-hair wackiness is K-Y Jelly. Yep, the vaginal lubricant.
Some curlies swear by this product as a useful hair gel. Some say it prevents frizz while supporting curls.
What’s In It?
After water, K-Y’s main ingredient is glycerin, a humectant. Many hair care products contain glycerin because of its ability to attract moisture to the hair and keep it hydrated. According to noted hair-chemical expert Tonya McKay, glycerin’s “thick viscosity and high boiling point are what make it an effective curl-definer and frizz minimizer (in the right climate”>.”
Keep in mind, though, that in humid weather, you might not want to put a humectant on your hair. Too much moisture can lead to frizz, of course.
Another K-Y Jelly ingredient, chlorhexidine, is a disinfectant and antiseptic. It is a common cosmetic additive, and sometimes used in hair care products as a preservative. We couldn’t find any evidence, however, that it would have any impact on curl formation.
Other ingredients in the lubricant include more humectants and preservatives. The last ingredient listed for K-Y is sodium hydroxide, which, interestingly, is pretty caustic stuff. According to Paula’s Choice, it is “used in small amounts in cosmetics to establish and hold the pH of a product.” I’m sure it’s diluted past the point of harmfulness, but still. Not sure I’d want to put it on my head, let alone on or in other areas.
How it is Used on Hair?
Many curlies find K-Y works best when used in combination with other stylers. Sometimes the jelly is mixed in with another gel or with a cream. Other times the lubricant is used as a base layer, with another styler layered on top. CurlTalker BigHairLaLa, for example, uses it under AG Re:coil. “The K-Y acts as a defrizzer and curl enhancer,” she says.
CurlTalker Naturalista agrees that K-Y works well as a base layer. “These products help with frizz and moisture retention when used as a “primer,” she says.
“it’s great for frizz control,” says Elita. “I use it under a curl cream then add gel on top.”
Truwaves tried K-Y Jelly without any other products and was pleased with the way her hair looked. “I tried it today without gel, and my hair came out soft and wavy!” she says. “I’m definitely impressed.”
But as Truwaves’ day progressed, she says, “My hair became quite puffy throughout the day.”
“I’m thinking this is due to the glycerin and the high dewpoint around here lately. I would definitely need to try some gel with it,” she added.
When Morningstar used K-Y jelly for the first time, she was impressed with the results. “It felt great going on my hair and then I used a strong gel on top of it. It gave me great clumps. I air-dried as it was a beautiful sunny day and the results are fantastic.”
It’s All Up To You
While some curlies have found that generic brands works just find, others have a different story to tell. Oregano cautions: “Just be cautious of the generic stuff. Some of it I’ve found flakes horribly. Yuck.”
According to a recent survey of Amazon, K-Y Jelly can be as inexpensive as $1.11/ounce. While this is cheaper than some hair care products containing glycerin, it is similar or more expensive than others. So cost alone might not be a good way to determine whether you should switch to K-Y Jelly.
As with all hair care products, most curlies find the only way to know if something works is to try it! And even if K-Y Jelly doesn’t really work for you, using it as a hair product certainly would make an interesting topic at your next dinner party!
As CurlTalker Hakim Nuraldin says, “Now that’s what you can call sexy hair.”
Have you used KY Jelly as a hair product? Tell us about it in the comments below.
I’ve heard it a thousand times, and I bet you have, too. “Oh, I could never get curls or waves like that! My hair is just too blah!” People with this outlook often don’t even try to work with their texture, instead relying on the flat iron for the same ol’, same ol’.
CurlTalker Wildberry, however, wasn’t satisfied with that approach. Though she was skeptical, she suspected there may have been some texture lurking in her locks, just waiting to be pulled out.
She needed a wavy transformation. Even if she wasn’t looking for 3c curls, she was definitely fed up with frizz.
“I was Googling how to get rid of frizz, and everything I found was related to curly hair,” she says. “I decided I might as well see if the curlies had some tips and tricks that would work on straight hair as well. That’s when I learned I had wavy hair, and some ‘wavy’ Googling led me to NaturallyCurly.”
Wildberry, who lives in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, dug into NaturallyCurly and CurlTalk, absorbing as much information as she could.
She posted on CurlTalk in mid-January, and received support and advice from a number of other CurlTalkers, including Guide 65 and SavageGirl.
She put her newfound knowledge to work right away. “I used the SheaMoisture coconut and hibiscus line since that was easily available online, even to a European,” she says. “I had also read it was a great way to start because it works well on most people.”
She says she started with the shampoo, conditioner, and gel only. “In the shower I used squish-to-condish, and when my hair was dripping wet I put the gel in it and did some more squishing.”
She then plopped her hair for 15 minutes, and “once dry, I scrunched out the crunch,” she says. “Voila!” A wavy transformation!
She came back to CurlTalk to report on her progress: “I think it looks more healthy than before, even after just one week.”
Even though Wildberry saw a quick initial turnaround in her hair’s condition when she first started the no-poo method, she is realistic about the long-term investment she will need to make in her hair.
“Natural waves is all about letting the hair go wild, and I have spent my entire life trying so hard to control my hair,” she says. “It’s a lot to get used to.”
Like many of us, she isn’t yet 100% satisfied. “It feels like it gets weighed down and/or frizzy very quickly, and much more oily on day two than I’m used to,” she says.
“I am still experimenting, but it’s a slow process.”
Living outside of a major trade center complicates matters, too. “I order something, wait for it to arrive, which usually takes around 2 weeks,” she says. “Then I try it out, test different ways of using it, and if I’m going to order something else, it takes time to get the products.”
So the experimentation continues, with new techniques and products — all in search of that holy grail combination we’re all looking for.
Ultimately, she says, “Nature seems to know what it’s doing, because it suits me a lot better than ‘straight’ hair ever did, so I like it better than I ever have!”
Wildberry is definitely pleased with the progress her hair has made so far, loving her wavy transformation: “I’ll sum it up for you: Hair good, me happy!”
We know there are a million stories like this out there; what’s yours? Please share in the comments section below!
Photo: iStockphoto
We mentioned blotox a few years ago in a news brief, but thought we’d revisit it to see if it was still a “thing.”
It’s called “blotox” and it involves getting Botox injections in your scalp to stop it from sweating during exercise.
Scalp sweat, as we all know, is the enemy of the perfect coif. Unsurprisingly, this trend started with women who wear their hair straight and don’t want their blowouts ruined.
Other women do blotox to simply keep their scalps cleaner.
But perhaps this technique would work well for curlies who are looking to avoid head-sweat-induced frizz, too. Let’s learn more.
What is Botox?
According to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, “Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It’s the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism.”
There are a number of products that that contain botulinum toxin, including Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin. These products are used by the medical community to smooth wrinkles and to treat a number of medical issues including crossed eyes, uncontrolled blinking, muscle stiffness or spasms, and migraine headaches.
Products containing botulinum toxin are also very effective for the treatment of excessive sweating, says Dr. Jennifer Vickers, a dermatologist with Sanova Dermatology in Austin, Texas. Botulinum toxin “works by blocking the release of acetylcholine, thereby deactivating the eccrine sweat glands,” she says.
“These treatments are most commonly used for sweating in the underarms, hands, and feet but have been increasingly used for scalp sweating in the last few years,” says Dr. Vickers, who has participated in research involving the use of technology to aid in skin cancer diagnosis and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
The official name for using Botox and Botox-type products to curb sweating is called “hyperhidrosis treatment.”
Why Botox?
Dr. Vickers says people seek these treatments for different reasons. “Some patients want their blow out to last longer or to avoid frizziness,” she says. “Some patients wish to reduce sweating when working out, and postmenopausal women may wish to avoid sweating during hot flashes.”
And it’s not just women who get the treatments, she adds. “I have had male patients request treatment for these same reasons or for treatment of conditions that are made worse by sweating, such as folliculitis,” she says.
Folliculitis is infection of the hair follicles. It is caused by bacteria in the follicle and presents as redness and swelling. It can be itchy, painful, and unsightly. Severe infections can cause scarring and permanent hair loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How It’s Done
To perform the scalp hyperhidrosis treatment, physicians make anywhere from 100 to 200 injections on the scalp. “Some patients may only need injections around their hairline and others may need injections over the whole scalp,” says Dr. Vickers.
While this may sound painful, she says, “A very tiny needle is used, and the entire treatment takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. It is generally well tolerated.”
Treatments last anywhere between 6 to 12 months, according to Dr. Vickers.
“The cost starts around $1000 per treatment, but can vary from patient to patient and may only be required once or twice a year,” she says.
The price may vary depending on where you live.
Before you Leap
Dr. Vickers says that while the FDA has approved Botulinum toxin for axillary (underarm”> hyperhidrosis, it has not approved treatments for the scalp. “However, treatments are generally safe,” she says, “especially if performed by a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon.”
Botox has been used safely and effectively in this off-label capacity for many years. If scalp hyperhidrosis treatment is something you’re considering, you might want to consult your own physician. Botox, like any medical procedure, has risks that you’ll want to fully explore with a qualified and experienced physician.
Is this treatment something you’ve done or are considering? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
Curlies looking for a chemical-free color change often look to henna, which imparts an attractive red-brown hue to locks. Curlies looking for a darker cast, on the other hand, might add indigo to their coloring regimen for a darker color.
This natural hair color is derived from plants, often Indigofera tinctoria or Indigofera suffruticosa, shrubby members of the bean family that are native to tropical and subtropical parts of the world.
“If chemicals aren’t your thing, you should definitely consider henna and indigo,” says Khadija Carryl, founder of online henna boutique Henna Sooq, and henna and natural hair care expert.
Indigo has been used for centuries to dye not only hair but also fabric. The fabric and clothing industry now largely uses synthetic dyes, but synthetic indigo cannot be used to dye hair because it contains ingredients that can damage hair and skin.
That’s not to say, however, that every hair dye indigo on the market is free from additives. If you’re shopping for natural hair colorants, be sure to check labels carefully, cautions Carryl, who teaches at various henna events around the country. Some may contain chemical additives.
One Step or Two?
Almost always, an indigo treatment is done in conjunction with a henna treatment. Indigo alone can impart unpredictably bright and typically not desirable colors, such as green, purple or bright blue, depending on the base hair color.
Most natural dye adherents do either a one-step mixture of henna and indigo or a two-step process wherein henna is applied first and then the darker color is applied in a separate step.
“It depends on what color you’re going for,” says Carryl. “If you’re looking for a reddish brown, you can do the one-step process and mix your proportions based on the exact shade you’re looking for.”
For example, a 60% henna/40% indigo mix would result is a redder hue than a 40%/60% mix, Carryl explains. “You have to do a little math to get the right color,” she says. “It can be kind of a trial and error process.”
If you’re going for pure black hair, she says, “The two-step is the only way to get true black.”
In fact, if deep black is what you’re after, Carryl suggests adding a little indigo to the “henna” step, to create a darker base. “If you make the base darker to begin with, you’ll have better luck with the indigo step,” she says.
Furthermore, doing henna in a separate step can also help the indigo “stick” better, Carryl says.
Whichever method you decide is right for you, it’s important that you do a patch test first, cautions Carryl. “Some people are allergic to natural plant products, so it’s important to test for any reactions first,” she says.
Getting Started
Before you get started, you’ll want to have some supplies on hand:
- Henna and indigo powders. You’ll want about 100g of powder for every 6 inches of hair.
- Rubber gloves
- Two non-reactive bowls
- Petroleum jelly (like Vaseline”> or Shea butter
- Plastic spoon
- Newspapers or towels
- Hair color brush (optional”>
- Plastic cap or plastic wrap
- An old shirt to wear — one you don’t mind getting stained.
Two-Step Henna-Indigo Process
Henna
Read this article to learn how to apply henna to your hair.
Indigo
You can do this step immediately following the henna step, or up to 72 hours later.
Prepare an area to do your coloring. Lay down newspapers or old towels on the countertop, sink and floor where you’ll be working. Alternatively, some people do the dying process in the shower to minimize the mess. Keep in mind that the dye will stain clothes and towels.
Shampoo your hair, if you like. Some curlies apply the mixture to dry hair.
Section your hair. Clip each section in place.
Apply petroleum jelly or Shea butter to your hairline and ears to prevent the dye from staining your skin.
Prepare the mixture. Put the powder in a bowl and slowly add warm distilled water until a yogurt-like consistency is formed. Don’t add a lot of water all at once or your mixture will be too runny. If your mixture ends up too loose, you can add a thickener (see below”>. Allow the indigo to rest about 20 minutes before using.
Stir mixture and apply to hair, section by section. Most people use their gloved hands, but others use a brush.
Don a plastic cap or wrap hair in plastic wrap and let sit for 3 to 4 hours. Some curlies allow the dye to remain on their hair overnight.
Thoroughly rinse the paste out of your hair using cool water. Some curlies apply a conditioner on top of the coloring paste right before they rinse — they say it makes rinsing easier.
One-Step Henna-Indigo Process
Mix henna and allow it to sit for 8-12 hours to release the dye.
When the henna is ready to use, move on to the next steps.
Shampoo your hair, if you like. Some curlies apply the mixture to dry hair.
Section your hair. Clip each section in place.
Apply petroleum jelly or Shea butter to your hairline and ears to prevent the dye from staining your skin.
Prepare an area to do your coloring. Lay down newspapers or old towels on the countertop, sink, and floor where you’ll be working. Alternatively, some people do the dying process in the shower to minimize the mess. Keep in mind that the dye will stain clothes and towels.
Prepare the indigo. Put the powder in a bowl and slowly add warm distilled water until a paste is formed. Don’t add a lot of water all at once or your mixture will be too runny. If your mixture ends up too loose, you can add a thickener (see below”>. Allow the indigo to rest about 20 minutes before using.
Mix the two pastes together.
Apply to hair, section by section. Most people use their gloved hands, but others use a brush.
Don a plastic cap or wrap hair in plastic wrap and let sit for at least 3-4 hours. Some curlies allow the dye to remain on their hair overnight.
Thoroughly rinse the paste out of your hair using cool water. Some curlies apply a conditioner on top of the coloring paste right before they rinse — they say it makes rinsing easier.
Thickening The Mixture
Even if you’re careful when adding water to your indigo powder, the mixture can end up runny, so many experts proactively add a thickening agent to the powder. It’s important to add the thickener to the powder, before you add water. Adding it later in the process can cause a lumpy mess, according to CurlTalker Bomega, who has spent many years researching and using natural hair dyes.
One option is carboxymethyl cellulose, commonly referred to as CMC or cellulose gum, a nontoxic thickening agent available for purchase in powder form. Use 1 gram of CMC per 100 grams of colorant powder. Another option for thickening colorant mixtures is powdered pudding mix — about a teaspoon per 100 grams of indigo. Some curlies use vanilla pudding mix so they can enjoy the nice scent.
Yet another option is touted by CurlTalker ButterCurl, who suggests instead adding glucomannan powder into your mixture. Glucomannan is a dietary fiber usually made from the root of the tropical konjac (Amorphophallus konjac“> plant. In foods, glucomannan is used as a thickener or gelling agent.
“My indigo was very smooth and non-crumbly. It went on great and didn’t affect the color,” says ButterCurl.
Other natural hair coloring devotees use xanthum gum or cornstarch as thickeners.
Other Additives
Some natural hair dye users saying adding salt to the mixture helps the hair accept the dye better, but some CurlTalkers say this trick does not work for them. So it may be a case-by-case thing.
Bomega has another tip for increasing coverage: “I discovered (that”> cutting the indigo either with shikakai or with fine ground mica powder actually helped me get better coverage — and saves me money.”
You may see recipes online that suggest adding coconut milk, oils, conditioner, honey, egg, yogurt, etc. to your natural hair color mixture, but know that if you use these, they can lessen the saturation of the colorant. “It depends on what your focus is. If you’re looking for just a hint of color, it’s ok to add any of these,” says Carryl.
Some women with curly hair add amla to their color mixes, says Carryl. “It’s good to add to the recipe to maintain curls,” she says. Amla is another name for Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn“>, a small tree native to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and southern China. “In fact, amla is often used separately to encourage hair growth,” Carryl adds.
Yet another additive often added to natural hair dye mixes is aloe vera powder, which can alleviate drying, according to Carryl.
Fading
Indigo fades. How fast seems to vary from person to person, but know that this colorant does fade.
“I just accept fading as part of the process,” says Bomega. “I normally just color the roots every 2-3 weeks and I find that the first time around, the indigo is considerably faded after 2 weeks, but then when I re-apply for the new round of roots, the last 1/4-1/2 inch that was faded gets covered permanently.”
You’ll just have to see how much your color treatment fades and re-color accordingly.
Ready to Try Indigo?
We hope you have enough information now to achieve the dark brown or black hair of your dreams using indigo hair dye.
And once you’ve colored your hair, be sure to share your experience over in the Coloring Your Hair section of CurlTalk! We can’t wait to see your new look!
Photo by Dmitry_Chulov/Getty Images
We’ve written about rinsing the hair with rice milk. Well, it appears that rinsing with rice water is a thing, too. A very ancient thing, in fact, that women in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia have practiced for centuries in pursuit of healthy, long, and beautiful hair.
Fermented rice water is rich in antioxidants, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, and vitamins E, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine.
Studies showing conclusive proof of the impact of fermented rice water on hair are elusive. But anecdotal evidence from not only centuries of Asian women who have used the rinse, but also from legions of contemporary women who swear by the technique point to numerous benefits for both hair and skin.
Many women say application of rice water to skin helps heal scars and reduces wrinkles, fine lines and inflammation. Some say it firms the skin and reduces the size of pores. In terms of hair, a study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science found that rice water reduced surface friction and increased hair elasticity.
Yao women of southern China claim that using fermented rice water rinses on their hair makes their hair grow faster and retains their natural color well into old age, with many of these lovely ladies not seeing a single grey hair until they’re about 80 years old.
As we mentioned above, we were hard-pressed to find anything other than anecdotal evidence of the wonders of fermented rice rinses, but, hey, if so many women swear by this treatment, it’s worth a shot, right?
CurlTalk‘s BeinDeb, for example, uses it for her hair and skin. “My hair and my winter eczema-prone skin are loving it!!,” she says. “It’s helped my eczema tremendously, which is really amazing as we’ve been having sub-zero dewpoints!”
CurlTalker adthomas likes it, too. ” I love how this made my hair feel soft and strong at the same time. It was hairgasmic,” she says. “I was a little apprehensive because I’m protein sensitive, but I had no issues.”
“When I tried using the rice water for washing, my hair felt amazing!” says CurlTalker Meechl.
How to use fermented rice water for hair
There are many methods for creating fermented rice water. Here’s how BeinDeb creates and applies hers:
I boiled some rice and kept the water I drained off of it.
I poured the water in a jar and let it set out for a couple of days to ferment. (Most sources say to allow the water to ferment at room temperature”>.
I have a squirt bottle that I put it in when I’m ready to use it. You’re supposed to dilute it, so I use half rice water and half distilled water.
After I wash and condition my hair, I saturate my scalp and hair with it. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse it out.
I then just style using whatever.
If you can’t use the fermented water right away, store it in the fridge after a couple days of room-temperature fermenting. You’ll definitely want to use it within a week.
“It makes my hair very smooth and tangles are non-existent,” BeinDeb says. “It really seems to be helping me hold the moisture in, or at least longer than my highly porous hair normally does.”
Some textured women add drops of lavender or tea tree oil to their rice water mixture. And, instead of using a spray bottle, some curlies simply pour the mixture over their heads, collecting it in a bowl so they can repeat the pour a few times to fully wet the scalp and saturate the hair.
Have you tried a fermented rice water rinse? Are you inspired to? Tell us about it in the comments section, below!
Many Type 2s and Type 3As with thin, flat hair yearn for more volume. Some find that even if they achieve great volume on Day 1, retaining that fullness and bounce on Day 2 is nearly impossible. Some curlies swear by the pineapple technique when they sleep, but we’ve also heard from many peeps for whom the pineapple doesn’t work, in terms of achieving second-day volume.
CurlTalker serasgf was so frustrated by her lack of volume, she invented a new method to give her short bob more life.
“I found this method through sheer luck,” she says. “And I hope it helps anyone else who’s struggling with volume.”
She says her new method works best as a nighttime routine, and doesn’t require anything more exotic than a t-shirt and some safety pins. Here’s what she does:
1. Cleanse & condition with volumizing products
I wash my hair with Sallé Revitalizing Shampoo Extra Body and condition with Herbal Essences Totally Twisted curl conditioner – but you can swap out the shampoo/conditioner with another volumizing shampoo and/or curl conditioner, or drop the conditioner entirely if you feel it weighs your hair down too much.
2. Scrunch in mousse
I lightly scrunch my wet hair with a cotton t shirt, so that the hair is still mostly wet but not dripping-everywhere-wet. Then I apply a bit of Aussie Headstrong Volume Mousse, just about the size of a cotton ball, starting at the roots and scrunching through the rest of my hair. DON’T add more mousse. I know it’s tempting, you feel like you don’t have enough in your hair, but unless your hair is a lot longer, this is all you need. Applying too much of voluminous products is always worse than having a little less than you could put on your hair, as it weighs your hair down.
3. Scrunch in cream
After I’m done working the mousse into my hair, I use Redken Curvaceous Ringlet Shape Perfecting Lotion, again in a very small amount, but depending on what curl shaping product you’re using, you might use a different amount if you find it works better for you. I scrunch the product into my hair thoroughly, NOT adding any more product than I used the first time I went over my hair.
4. Flip the part
I flip my hair to the opposite side of where I want to part it when it dries, and let it air dry.
5. Tie a t-shirt turban
After it has finished drying, I wrap a cotton t shirt around the front of my head like a headband. The goal of this is to keep the hair pushed back and upwards away from your pillow when you sleep, to avoid flattening.
To do this, I press the neck hole of the shirt to the back of my head near the bottom (where your hair starts to grow”> and grab the two sleeves, tying them together at the top of my forehead. You want this tie to be tight enough to stay, but not too tight that it is uncomfortable or restricting your hair. Once the sleeves are tied, the rest of the t shirt hangs over your head loosely, and isn’t keeping your hair in place upwards. So, using two safety pins, secure each side of the t shirt to where you tied your sleeves.
*Editor’s Note: We have a full tutorial on how to tie the turban for yourself here.
6. Scrunch & sleep
Now, just take a spray bottle and wet your roots, lightly scrunching and fluffing them. Go to sleep with the t-shirt headband on and when you wake up, take it off and you should have root volume from your hair being pushed up while wet (similar to drying your hair upside down or clipping your roots, but stronger and more evenly spread out.
Serasgf says this is a good method if you don’t have money for a diffuser or lots of products. She says you can substitute any products you like.
CurlTalker Therese1 tried the new method and liked it, too: “I did indeed get more volume, and I had more wave retained than usual!”
Serasgf says, “It’s worked a lot better for me than a pineapple, as whenever I’d take my hair out of the tight ponytail it would lose its shape and be a mess.”
To some curlies, the method is reminiscent of plopping or of using a buff (stay tuned for an upcoming article about this technique!”>. Great to have a similar option that might work even better for bob-length hair!
Try this new method and let us know what you think, in the comments section, below!
Curlies are always on the hunt for new products, tricks, or techniques that can help us achieve the very best for our curls, right?
For many of us with Type 2 or Type 3 hair, having flat roots is a tricky problem. Our hair can be a bit blah and lifeless near the scalp, only curling up further down the hair shaft.
The root-lift problem is so pervasive, in fact, that there are more than 3,000 threads on CurlTalk where members discuss the frustration of flat roots!
3a CurlTalker TheSimabaLook, for example, says, “My hair is flat on my head at the roots and then gets big about two inches down.”
And 3b CurlTalker jetset asks, “Does anyone have any ideas about what I could do to put more spring at the top of my head? I don’t even have anything to pick out because it’s all flat!”
Type 2 Wavies also encounter this problem. “I have this same problem, flat on top, curly on bottom,” says 2a/2b CurlTalker barefoot.
CurlTalker Develops New Method
Knowing wavies and curlies have so much angst about flat roots, we were seriously excited when we read about the new root-lift method that 3a CurlTalker BeinDeb came up with and post about in the forums.
“It’s just standard diffusing with literally a twist!” BeinDeb says of her new method.
This active CurlTalker had to learn new hair care methods when she moved to the Northeastern United States after having lived in Texas for 30 years. “I moved from an area with hard water, high dew points, and more often than not, oppressive heat, to damn near the exact opposite.”
“Needless to say, these old curls went through a BIG environmental shock!,” she adds. She describes her hair as “fine, high porosity, low density, and well-aged silver.”
Here’s how she describes her root-lift technique:
“I gather as much hair as possible into the diffuser and lift it towards my head to “accordian” the curls. After reaching my scalp, I turn it about a quarter of a turn — just enough to feel a very slight tension on the roots. I hold it for maybe 30 seconds or so (just until I feel the warmth”> then move on to another spot.”
Deb says she leans forward so that her head is upside down, and diffuses each side and then the back of her head. “I do that until most of the water weight is gone and the gel is semi-set.”
She lets her hair “rest” for 30 minutes or so. “I then do one final rotation around my head. That is, I hold the diffuser to my scalp, twist slightly, wait until I feel the warmth on my head, then hit the cool shot button on my dryer for a few seconds. That’s it!”
“It’s really not that special, just something very simple that works,” she says. “It’s working so well for me, so I thought I’d share with the hope it would help someone else.”
An Accidental Discovery
Discovering this technique was purely accidental, BeinDeb says.
She says she usually uses clips to achieve root lift. “I have a small section on the right side of my crown that loves to stay plastered against the side of my head. I was in a hurry one day and didn’t have time to clip. When I was diffusing that spot, I did the quarter twist to try to make sure the the roots were pulled up while drying,” she says. “It worked! So, the next time I washed, I did my whole head that way.”
“I do still clip, but only if I air dry,” she adds.
What Others are Saying
We just had to try it!
I really love the method. Usually to get root lift, I use a comb or my fingers to lift up my hair at the crown, and then shoot it with the dryer without the diffuser. But honestly, I don’t like getting my hands all gunked up, and removing the diffuser and using the comb just means extra steps.
Since I’m already running the dryer, it’s easy peasy to just place the diffuser against my scalp and twist! This Type 3a loves it.
CurlTalker Guide 65 (formerly Janiegirl”> says, “My hair tends to cling to my scalp when wet and loaded with product, so the little twist loosens the roots away from the scalp.
“It doesn’t allow me to eliminate using clips, but it may be because I only partially diffuse,” the Type 2b Wavy adds.
Deb, ever humble, might not approve, but we’re naming this new technique after her — it’s officially the “DebLift”!
Try it and tell us what you think! Does it give you better root lift? Share your pix!
Dear Oudiad: I was reading your Q&A on NaturallyCurly.com and you answered one of the girls saying that she should not wash her hair every day because it dries it out. My problem is that I use gel, mousse and hair spray—all TRESemme products—to style my hair, otherwise the volume gets out of control. Usually I wash it to get the products out and so that I can do anything with it. Otherwise it’s unmanageable.
My hair is Type 3b, mid-back length. The curls are very defined and bouncy; it’s not very thick but I do have an obscene amount of hair. I don’t have dry hair, except for the ends, but that is usually normal especially around the time I’m due for a haircut. I can only brush it wet. Otherwise it will straighten out my curls, and I’ll look like I’m ready for Halloween! I really don’t know what to do.
If I didn’t wash my hair every day, I’d have to wear it in a ponytail. But I love wearing my hair down! I want to know how I can do that without washing it every day. Also does it damage your hair to leave gel, mousse and hair spray in your hair overnight?
Dear Unmanageable: It’s important to use water-soluble products that will not leave product build up and are easily washed out. Try a lightweight refreshing conditioning spray made for curly hair to define curls on the day after washing. You can also wet your hair and try co-washing with specially formulated curly hair conditioner on the ends to keep your curls looking fresh without having to shampoo every day.
Is your hair ready for sex?
How to make yourself look presentable in a serious hurry? How to prevent the mess in the first place?
- Put your hair up in a sexy, but easy, ‘do before you do the deed.
- Opt for the uppermost vantage point. Your curls are less likely to be crushed or smooshed if you’re hovering above rather than writhing about on a pillowcase.
- Offer something else for clutching, so that your hair is left untouched.
- All curlies should always carry an emergency-fix-it product or two in her purse. While the cover of dark is still nigh, sneak into the bathroom for some quick repairs.
- You can always opt for the mysterious middle-of-the-night departure. Send him daisies the next day and keep him guessing.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Design Essentials launched its new Natural line of hair care products this weekend at the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show in Atlanta.
The line, which consists of five products, is free of sulfates, silicones and parabens, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum and fragrance, says Director of Education Rebecca Mariolis.
“One of the things that we wanted to make sure with the new line was that we really paid attention to our ingredients—using botanicals and essential oils. What we found when we were testing is that is really makes a difference. A positive difference. Now, you can use product with those more-traditional ingredients and be fine. But hair is softer without those ingredients,” Mariolis says.
The Natural line includes Curl Cleanser Sulfate Free Shampoo ($12.95/8 oz”>, Moisturizing Conditioner ($10.95/8 oz”>, Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($11.95/8 oz”>, Defining Crème Gel ($25.95/16 oz”> and Curl Stretching Cream ($26.95/16 oz”>.
The Natural line includes Curl Stretching Cream, Curl Cleanser Sulfate Free Shampoo, Moisturizing Conditioner, Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Defining Crème Gel.
Comprised of nourishing ingredients like jojoba, cocoa butter and almond oil, the company says, “you are sure to produce beautiful healthy hairstyles that are rich in moisture, high sheen and strong hold.”
Sholanda Armstrong, Design Essential’s Director of Marketing, says, “We found that the new products give such as much moisture and shine. Hair looks just as beautiful.”
“You may have to pay a little more. It’s a more about a personal choice. The others aren’t bad ingredients, just not as close to earth,” Armstrong adds.
The line was developed to meet market demand, says Mariolis. “The research shows that the number of people who are getting away from relaxers and going holistic is growing. If they go natural, we’re there with them.”
The line is aimed mainly at Type 3s and 4s, says Armstrong. “Our consumer is a woman of texture. Anyone with some curl and wave; it’s probably not for people with straight hair.”
The pair of Design Essentials execs had a hard time picking their favorites from the line.
“I love the Daily Moisturizing Lotion; it’s curl-defining and a great leave-in conditioner,” says Mariolis. “It’s also a great second-day hair fixer. It’s really lightweight —it’s not going to make the hair feel heavy.”
Armstrong raves about the Natural Defining Crème Gel, “The great thing is that is good for all textures. Great definition and hold, without a lot of crunch. The way to control that is to apply the Daily Moisturizing Lotion and then the Defining Crème Gel. Best hold and best sheen.
Mariolis says of the line, “We recommend you use the line as a system. Work your way through the line, product by product. The products work really well together. We definitely noticed a difference when the line is used as a system.”
Christo at Premiere Orlando
The thousands of stylists attending this weekend’s Premiere Orlando trade show weren’t Mickey-Mousing around; they were there to shop and learn, and shop and learn they did!
NaturallyCurly spent Sunday on the floor of the show, checking out all the new products, old favorites and the educational events.
Read more about keratin! Keratin Treatments are White Hot,
The big news? Once again: keratin treatments. We could hardly believe it possible, but there were actually even MORE keratin treatment vendors at this show than at shows past. We counted 20 manufacturers selling keratin straightening treatments. 20! And several of these keratin product manufacturers also offered well-attended educational sessions at the show.
And while the keratin booths were popular, stylists flocked to a number of other booths that proved popular throughout the day, including Matrix, Arrojo, Michael O’Rourke, L’Oreal (where the company touted its new INOA coloring system”> and Morrocconoil, which has recently released a new curl creme.
Argan treatments were also popular, though they didn’t have as big as presence as at some previous shows.
Main stage performances dazzled, too, with shows featuring Takashi Kitamura, Anthony Mascolo, Martin Parsons, Sherri Jessee and more.
Celebrity Stylist Nick Arrojo
The educational events for the first time featured several that focused on curly hair.
Curly hair legend Ouidad’s morning presentation was jammed to the rafters with eager stylists occupying every inch of available space in the room. “Curly hair is regal. It is beautiful,” Ouidad enthusiastically told the rapt crowd. “Curly haired people have a soul,” she added.
The Queen of Curl described her trademark Carve & Slice Method, with assistant Alex demonstrating the cutting technique on a model whose hair had been poorly cut by another stylist. “Carve & Slice is strategically designed to work with the curly pattern you have. It’s designed to cut with the curvature of your hair.”
“Look for the weight when deciding where to cut,” said Alex.
Time slipped by as Alex continued to cut and style the model’s hair, yielding a beautiful look that had the pumped-up and curl-friendly audience cheering.Back at Ouidad’s booth on the floor, industry color master Cypriano dazzled passing stylists with his makeovers.
At another education event, Christo Fifth Avenue’s Christo thrilled the crowd with his own stunning makeovers—transforming frizz to fabulousness. Of his curl philosophy, he said, “When I design a client’s hair, I design to her texture. And I give her a prescription especially for her texture.”
Kim Vo of “Sheer Genius” fame
Christo also revealed that he will soon be introducing a line of hair care products for tight, coily hair.
At another training event, hair care company Surface pushed its root-volumizing product, Push. The room gasped as company rep Wayne Grund demonstrated how the powdery product instantly offers lift at the root and how smooshed-down hair can be revived quickly.
We saw several new product lines we can’t wait to try out: Amika, Obliphica, Angel Professional and Milk_Shake. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on these hot hair care products.
Obedience, from celebrity stylist Charlene Spiller, is a “light, high-performing straightening serum that allows women of any ethnicity to naturally straighten their curly, wavy or resistant hair.”
Celebrity stylists Nick Arrojo and Kim Vo were surrounded by a pack of admirers everywhere they went, and Vo even had a take-a-picture-with-me booth set up outside the main floor. Dozens of giddy stylists eagerly awaiting their turn to have their photos taken with Vo, as the “Shear Genius” star smiled, chatted and treated each one like his long-lost friend.
Most mother-of-the-bride hairstyles are just a step up from your everyday look. You most definitely want to be careful that your style does not outshine the bride’s. Generally the mother of the bride wears her hair down. Trying to be too formal or going so far as to wear a wedding updo will steal the spotlight from the bride on her special day.
Searching for a wedding-day stylist? Read this woman’s story.
Get a professional cut and color (if applicable”> a couple weeks before the event, so it will have time to settle back to “normal.” Then, on the big day, you’ll be ready to simply take your everyday look up a few notches. And plan to make a trip back to the salon on the big day for a professional ‘do—you have enough to worry about without having to fuss about your hair!
You might want to go with a soft curl look, which can be achieved with a set of hot rollers or curling iron. Gently break up the curls with the fingers to soften the curl and add body. You might also want to add a fancy hair clip or barrette to keep the hair off the face while adding just a spark of formality to your style.
NaturallyCurly.com video blogger shares with us her nighttime routine.
Many in the curly community are eagerly anticipating the 2010 World Natural Hair, Health & Beauty Show, to be held April 10-11 this year.
The show, which takes place at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, includes new consumer and professional workshops, the best natural hair, braiding, locing and barber competitions, Da Poetz Corner, The Children’s Corner, WNHH&BS CoverHealthy eating and nutrition information, the latest in healthy hair and beauty products and services and so much more.
The Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Show is always filled with excitement, beautiful people, beautiful fragrances, music and a sea of information on natural hair, health and beauty.
The show’s official website says: “Come and see why Natural Hair is the official other choice for hair care. Natural hair is mainstream. Actors, sports figures, models, doctors, anchormen/women, children, etc. are wearing a variety of styles with natural textures. Even weave-wearers are choosing hair with tighter curl patterns as they too want the look of natural hair. More people are embracing their natural beauty-and history repeats itself again as other nationalities desire the look of natural styles as well. Now the show has even more to offer as larger numbers of people both nationally and globally embrace the beauty of natural hair.”
Word!
Don’t you feel empowered, reading that? There will be several NaturallyCurly.com representatives at the show; you’ll know them by their NaturallyCurly bags and t-shirts. If you see one, walk up and introduce yourself! Share some curl love! And then add a comment below, telling us about your experience. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Austin stylist and L’Oreal spokesman Ron King will soon open a second salon in Austin. This is a rendering of the INOA station in his new salon, which will be called Ron King.
More than a century ago, L’Oréal Professionnel introduced the first safe hair dye, “Auréale,” created from mineral salts, to the industry. This month, the company debuts INOA, a revolutionary new ammonia-free permanent hair color.
The color contains an odorless alkaline agent called MEA (monoethanolamine”> that replaces ammonia, which opens the hair cuticle slightly to allow for colorants and oxidants to penetrate the cortex to start the coloring process. “It’s more conditioning for the hair and scalp,” says Ron King, L’Oreal spokesperson and owner of Bo Salon in Austin, Texas. “It’s like a treatment for the hair,” he says.
INOA—which stands for “innovation”—works with the ODS technology (Oil Delivery System”>: an oil base that increases the active potential of the haircolor system while preserving the hair’s natural protective layer twice as much as traditional ammonia-based permanent hair color.
“This is going to stand the color world on end,” says King. “There’s nothing else like it.”
Other color lines have been ammonia-free, says King, but they were semi- or demi-permanent color. “INOA is permanent hair color,” he says. “You get the shine and gloss of a demi but the permanence of a permanent color.”
When using INOA, the stylist and client will choose the color together at a special “bar” area in the salon. “It’s no longer ‘The Wizard of Oz’ scenario, where the stylist disappears behind a curtain to mix up the potion,” says King. It’s a collaborative process, he says. “You interact to choose the color.”
The cost to the customer for INOA is about $50 to $75 more than a regular color service, says King. “But clients are OK with this because they’re getting shine and conditioning. Also, the color doesn’t fade as fast because of the oil delivery system,” so clients can go a bit longer between services, he says.
King’s Bo Salon was one of the first salons in the nation to get the new coloring system; he’s been using it on customers since September. Clients, he says, “feel more comfortable coming into the salon and having their hair colored because the color is completely balanced. They love the way it feels on the scalp. They feel like it’s holding the color better than it ever had.”
Here’s a quick video snippet from L’Oreal’s INOA stage at America’s Beauty Show:
“Texture!”—a programming event presented by NaturallyCurly.com, CurlStylist.com and Modern Salon Magazine—is being heralded as one of the most interesting and successful panels at this year’s American Beauty Show.
The Texture! panel featured a veritable who’s who of the curly hair industry, including Dickey of Hair Rules, Titi and Miko Branch of Miss Jessie’s, Veronique Morrison of Mizani, Ouidad, Shari Harbinger of DevaConcepts, Jonathan Torch of Curly Hair Solutions and Edwin Johnson of KMS California.
America’s Beauty Show is a large (tens of thousands in attendance”> trade show for beauty industry professionals that draws stylists and manufacturers from around the world. It was held this year in Chicago March 27-29.
The panel, held Sunday, was a longtime dream of NaturallyCurly co-founders Gretchen Heber and Michelle Breyer, who long wished for the opportunity to get so many curl experts in the same room together.
Judging from the audience’s reaction, the dream was successfully fulfilled. Dozens of stylists piled into the chilly convention center room to hear these legends of the industry describe their background, talk about their philosophies and offer concrete advice.
And while not all curl experts think alike, the event was a harmonious one, with the panelists all realizing the significance of the gathering.
“This meeting is a wonderful example of the shift in our customers’ belief in their natural hair,” said Harbinger.
Other ABS Highlights
• See our ABS blog!
• L’Oreal launches INOA
• Keratin treatment companies were plentiful
• Tabatha Coffey’s quickfire stylist challenge was wildly popular
• Kim Vo and Nick Arrojo cruised the floor of the show, pausing for photos and chats
• Mizani’s new True Textures line made a big splash
“No two people are the same. The left side is different from the right side. You have to deal with each person differently,” said Torch, as several panelists’ heads bobbed in agreement.
More practical tips came from Titi Branch: “The consultation is so important. Typically, the curly hair client is traumatized, skeptical. You have to patiently work with her.”
“You’ll have a client for life if you do what you say you’re going to do,“ said Harbinger.
Added Jonathan Torch, “There’s a lot of common sense to working with curly hair. With certain techniques you can remove bulk. The next challenge is to remove frizz. Everybody with curly hair has frizz issues. You can have the greatest haircut but if you don’t know how to manage the frizz, it’s no good.”
At one point, Breyer, who moderated the event, asked the audience how many of them had received specific training in working with textured hair when they were in cosmetology school. Only four raised their hands.
Mizani demostration
The panel lauded the audience members for attending the session to gain more education. “We all need to be educated so that we can all deal with all types of hair,” said Morrison. “As our culture has evolved, we’re looking at curly hair as being more accepted now. The more we know curls, the better.”
“I was self-taught. I needed to develop special techniques to cut curly hair,” Johnston said.
Torch stressed the importance of today’s experts helping the next generation of stylists, “A curly hair style is always moving, from morning to noon to night. It’s hard for a new stylist to fathom. Now that curly hair is mainstream, it’s our responsibility to teach the next generation.”
Curlyheads, too, need special training to work with their curls, said Ouidad. “Many people with curly hair have never been taught; they’ve never been guided to work with their curly hair. It’s important that you stylists educate their clients. Every human being who has curly hair is able to learn to manage their chair.”
Following the panel were demonstrations by some of the panelists, a very popular part of the programming where the stylists were invited to come up close and have a back-and-forth with the presenters.
Each audience member received an enormous bag filled with hair care products, brochures and a super-cool CurlStylist apron.
Miko Branch offered perhaps the loveliest line of the day: “Bringing beauty to natural hair is my goal,” she said.
