Curls Gone Wild!

Having curls can be a real pain in the rear.  I spent the better part of my formative years not really knowing how to do my hair so they wouldn’t puff up and swallow my face.  I used to spend my time hot ironing my hair stick straight so I would look like everyone else out there.  Then I got my teaching job and I honestly just didn’t have time to be doing all that anymore.  My hair is incredibly thick so this process would take hours. 

 This is me mid-college, trying to get ready for a formal by straightening my hair.  It took about an hour for my hair to completely dry and  this was after I had already run a heat protectant through it to tame the frizz and prep it for the exhaustive process

 

Honestly, I only recently learned what to do with my crazy curls.  Out of sheer frustration I did a Google search of curly hair and up pops the Naturally Curly website.  I learned so much from this place!  Of course, I basically learned that everything I was doing with my hair was wrong.  Sulfates, silicones, brushes, and terry cloth towels…you name it, I was using it and I needed to stop.  I began my quest to learn everything I could about how to treat my curls while also learning ingredients and products to avoid.

I started using products from the Jessicurl line.  I think the hardest thing for me to get used to was cutting out shampoo.  I love a good foam, and the cleansing conditioners don’t do that.  The idea is that you massage the scalp with the gentle cleansers and it doesn’t strip your hair of its natural oils, allowing your curls to maintain some form of control.  It definitely was a change. 

Here was another big switch for me – putting my hair products in when my hair was soaking wet.  I’m talking dripping tons of water.  I could no longer step out of the shower, wrap my hair in my towel and chill out for a few minutes until I reached the step in my morning ritual where I slathered silicone ridden products all over my hair.  Now I used more natural products and did my hair while I was still in the shower.  When I stepped out I’d wrap my hair in a microfiber cloth or an old t-shirt (these types of fibers don’t suck all the moisture out of your curls).  I’d let my hair air dry whenever possible and only using a hairdryer with a diffuser when I couldn’t.  I read the Curly Girl Handbook cover to cover in one sitting.  It was my saving grace.  

Now don’t get me wrong, I still have crazy curl days.  I have not found the perfect product yet that ensures a perfect hair day, every day.  But I have more of those then ever before.  As I continue on this journey, I will be sure to share new tips, tricks, and products I find that work for me.  Hopefully they will work for you too! 

Let me know what you use on your curls: comment below or connect with me via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

XO – Bekah_­