I love my hair, I love my waves, I adore my curls. I can finally say that. It has taken me so many years to come to terms with my actual hair type. I look back now and think how ridiculous it was NOT to love my hair. As glamorous and as proud I am now that I’m a curly girl, like many of us, my journey to embracing my waves has been stressful, time consuming, annoying and painful. Here’s why:
LACK OF PRODUCT CHOICE
I’m Spanish and Latina. Here in the United Kingdom there aren’t enough products that cater to my type of curls. I can’t begin to name all the times I’ve been tricked into thinking I was purchasing the product that would this time feed my curls. Instead, said product would either leave me looking like a greasy poodle or as if someone had frozen my curls stiff with liquid nitrogen. Fun times.
PROTECTIVE STYLES JUST DON’T WORK
Protective styles are also a no-go for us Wavy girls. Why? They don’t tend to last very long and since our hair gets oily quickly, we must wash our hair more frequently. Now don’t get me wrong, our hair needs oil BUT not too much – we’ll get to that below.
OUR HAIR GETS USED TO PRODUCTS
We constantly have to change hair products because we never seem to find the right one. Like I mentioned before, they’re either too oily, too dry… or of course when we do find the holy grail product after 3 months our hair stops responding to it and we have to shop around again. Great.
WAVY HAIR IS UNPREDICTABLE
Our curls/waves are so unpredictable. You never know what you’re going to get. Random strands of hair will refuse to curl, while others curl up perfectly. I’ve learned to work with this and embrace it as part of my “look”.
Having been through all of these scenarios many times I know the secrets to having juicy curls all day, every day. What are they you ask? Simple. Oil, Water and plenty of Love..
OIL.
Curls, regardless of their texture, need oil. Try and test a few natural oils. Once you find a few that work for your hair and scalp use a light amount, morning, nights, before or after washing. They’ll make your hair more manageable and “obedient”.
WATER.
Drink it, spray it, live it! Hydration is essential for your hair’s health. Curls are naturally dryer than other hair types so drink up and keep an eye on the water temperature you use when washing your hair. Spray water on your hair using a spray bottle when it begins to act crazy. It will help tame it. Little tip: add an essential oil to your spray bottle for a nice scent and to lock moisture into your curls. My personal favorites: Lavender for smell and Coconut oil for moisture. YUM!
LOVE.
Love your hair, love your length and LOVE the journey. Granted it will be tedious at times but when you carry yourself with love you will look good even if you’re wearing garbage bag. Curly hair IS beautiful. Every curl has its own personality. Nurture, don’t fight, them a unique look every time.
