How I learned to embrace (and style) my curly hair
For most of my life, I’ve had a thick mane of frizzy hair that sometimes would turn into loose curls, but more often than not would resemble an angry poodle.
Since I’m not a fan of heat products, I figured it was my lot in life to try my best to rock the voluminous, uncontrolled hairdo - until I was introduced to The Curl Ambassadors salon in Toronto and the new Dove Quench Absolute line.
In less than half an hour, my hair was transformed into beautiful curls that received many compliments and stayed intact for about three days.
So what was I doing wrong? As it turns out, a whole host of things.
(My hair after Angela at The Curl Ambassadors used Dove Quench Absolute shampoo, conditioner and serum. She put my under the dryer for about ten minutes and then dried the rest with a diffuser. Photo: Courtesy Sarah Rohoman)
Perhaps my biggest faux pas was brushing my hair with a paddle brush right after I got out of the shower. As it turns out, I was breaking down the “curl memory.”
Kind of like a muscle, your hair begins to remember the pattern of curls, so by brushing it too often, I was throwing that off. Since I’ve stopped using the paddle brush, my hair has indeed become bouncier, and the curls are holding better. If you do need to brush out the tangles, the cofounders of the Curl Ambassador salon, Betty and Caroline, recommend using a wide toothed comb in the shower or simply finger-combing.
Another mistake I was making was shampooing my hair every day, which is a faux pas for curly hair. It takes away the natural oils and makes the curls coarse and not well formed.
(My hair after I personally used Dove Quench Aboslute shampoo, conditioner and serum. I also let it air dry. Photo: Courtesy Sarah Rohoman)
An important tip I learned was the importance of nurturing my curls. To do that, I flip my hair over in the shower when I shampoo and condition and scrunch the product in from the tips of my hair upwards in order to encourage the curl. I also apply the Dove Quench Absolute Crème Serum when I’m out of the shower in the same way.
To my complete surprise, using the right products and the proper techniques, I’ve been able to produce bouncy, fairly well-behaved curls on a regular basis. The Dove products come at drug store prices and work better than any of the expensive products I’ve tried before, so I will definitely be repurchasing.
No more fluffy poodle frizz for me!
Do you have any tips for curly hair? Let us know by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
