Tips For Curly Hair

There is a world of difference between working with curly hair and working with straight hair. The techniques that are utilized vary greatly, depending on the curliness or straightness of the hair. But what makes the hair curly or straight? Hair texture is hereditary in most cases, although it is possible for curly-haired parents to have a child with poker-straight hair. The degree of curl depends largely on the shape of the follicle, or the pore from out of which the hair grows. A round follicle will produce straight hair. A follicle that is oval in shape will produce wavy hair. Curly hair occurs when the shape of the follicle is flat.

Cutting curly hair requires a greater degree of skill than cutting straight hair, in my opinion. The problem lies in the fact that when curly hair is wet it lengthens considerably. That means however you cut the hair when it is wet, it will always "shrink" when it is dry. This is true with all hair, but more visible with hair that is curly. Another challenge when cutting curly hair is getting it to lay right. Curly hair often has a propensity to stick out when cut incorrectly. To avoid this, I never cut in the typical straight-across manner. Instead, I use a technique called "notching". When you notch the hair, you get a softer edge, similar to the result you get with a razor cut. Both notching and razor-cutting work well on wavy and curly hair because they don't leave a blunt edge on the hair.

When choosing a haircut, you must decide if you prefer a low or high maintainence style. If you bring the stylist a picture, his or her hair texture should match your own as closely as possible. Generally, curly hair looks best when worn shoulder-length or longer, and with long layers throughout. This is also a lower-maintainence style than many others.

Styling curly hair can also be a bothersome task. To make curly hair easier to work with, it is essential to keep the hair well hydrated. I suggest shampooing with Goldwell Permed and Curly Shampoo and using matching conditioner. These products are specially formulated for curly hair, which has different needs than other hair types. Other good shampoos are Nexxus Botanoil, and Matrix Biolage Hydrating shampoo. There products gently clean the hair without altering the curl patterns of naturally curly or permed hair. Some good conditioners are Nexxus Ensure and Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution. These conditioners are very light and won't weigh down the hair or make the hair look or feel greasy.

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