Detangling the Myths About Curly Hair

Photographer: Yuri Hahhalev @hahhalev Stylist: Svetlana Agureeva @agureevastyle Hair: Julia Linap @julialinap_pro Makeup: Lidija Malinovskaja @malinobeauty Models: Nastia Morozova @nastjamorozova and Karmen Raja @karmenraja

For many years I mocked my hair, burnt it with irons, poisoned with keratin, and hid under various bunches. I did not understand what to do with it, I dreamed of straight and smooth hair.

My sister, who has exactly the same structure of curly hair, unlike me, was already fascinated with her hairstyle, told me: stop torturing your hair, it is our zest. At some point I realized that I did have amazing hair. When I stopped straightening it, I started to receive a lot of compliments by people as per my hairstyle. I was left needing to learn how to restore them after years of damage; the impact of chemical and heat.

The first thing you should do at the beginning of your journey to returning life to your curls is to abandon your hairbrush, hair dryer, and the products containing silicons, sulfates, drying alcohols.

You will need to learn how to apply conditioner, comb and dry your hair through the “curly method”. This method was developed by the Englishwoman Lorraine Massey for girls with curly hair. If you follow this method, then each type of your curl will return to its natural shape.

Washing Hair

Using shampoo, clean the scalp twice using massage movements; when rinsing, the hair is also cleansed along its length. Then apply a copious amount of conditioner along the entire length and begin to gently comb the curls with your hands, unravelling the tangled knots and collecting the fallen hair.

After this collect water in your palms and squeeze (Squish & Scrunch) your hair in your hands, forming the natural shape of the curl. It is best to turn your head down. Rinse the conditioner only starting from the roots, partially leaving it on the hair. Under low pressure of warm water, go along the roots or you can rinse with water collected in the palms of your hands. If you feel that the conditioner has been washed off a lot from your hair, then apply a small amount of it once again and while pressing in the palm of your hand, squeeze it again. Our goal is to leave some moisture in your hair and create a shape.

Over time, you will understand how much conditioner you need to remain on your hair. Styling is applied to your wet hair immediately. It can be a gel, cream or milk designed for curly hair. I personally do not use styling, as I have enough conditioning. But you should try everything and choose your own styling method.

Next, with a microfiber towel, wipe the hair instead of rubbing dry. You may fold your hair neatly into "accordion-style" folds and tie it for a while.

Dry your hair the natural way. To create a root-base volume, metal clips can be employed. Stick them into places where you need the volume. The second option, if you have no time or it is winter outdoors, you may gently dry only the roots with low air pressure or use a diffuser but only at the roots. The temperature should be low; never use thermal protection! The composition of these products is not suitable for your curly hair.

Restoring Style After Sleep

Moisturization is key. Moisten the curls with water, add styling (I use a conditioning spray) and comb them carefully through with your hands. Press, form.

It is very important to choose the right care products. Your Shampoo should be delicate, without sulfates. Sulfates are dangerous for curly hair, because they are powerful degreasers. As a result, they degrease dirt and also wash out natural oils and moisturizers from the cuticle. Because of its structure, curly hair is porous and dry, cuticle flakes become loose and uneven, and sulfate is able to penetrate through the open flakes in the cuticle and can destroy the curl.

The care products should not contain any drying alcohols and silicons either. Alcohols dry up your hair, whereas silicons can only be washed out with aggressive sulfate shampoos.

I do not recommend using natural oils. Not all oils can penetrate the cuticle, therefore the opposite effect is obtained quite often; the hair gets dry. With frequent use, the oil will be layered, clog the cuticle and accumulate on the curls. Then the masks and conditioners will not be able to moisturize your hair.

Hairdressing

I recommend to cut the ends every 3-4 months, it is good both for dry and for wet hair. If a hair-dress needs a specific shape, then it is performed first on wet hair, taking into account that while drying, the curl can bounce from 3 to 15 cm; the shape is then adjusted upon drying. Alternatively, the cut can be made on clean, naturally dried hair. It is better to visit a good specialist who has in-depth knowledge and experience in curly hair. In no case should you cut with a razor.

Staining

Any staining destroys the disulfide bonds partially, and they are responsible for the shape of our curl. Therefore, after dyeing, the hair becomes dry and brittle frequently, and the curl sometimes straightens. But curly hair may be dyed with care. Ideally, use only soft, high-quality dyes.

Curly hair does not tolerate any lightening. But if you still want to lighten your hair, then it is better to do this in parts. Nowadays, there are many fashionable dyeing techniques, such as balayage, shatush, airtouch, etc.

Using these techniques, only the upper layers or some individual strands are pigmented. The dye is superimposed on curls in the form of different letters, for example V, depending on the desired outcome. An individual pattern is created on your hair. Staining is difficult, because it requires careful shading of the color. The hair-dresser must have some professional knowledge and skills.

It is worth noting that any degree of hair lightening violates their structure. In order to achieve the desired result and at the same time to preserve the structure of the hair, it is first necessary to accurately assess the condition of your hair, choose the right lightening substance, preferably protection, and exposure time.

I use the airtouch technique to achieve soft multifaceted overflows. While my hair has not experienced irreparable damage with this technique, every hair strand is different. This is not an open technique like the others listed, but it is employing the foil, so it requires more caution. Also, a hairdresser should create a picture, direct application of the dye does not fit curly hair.

From my personal experience, after staining, my curls become somewhat dry and the curl changes a little, this is normal. After about 2–3 weeks, with the help of deep moisturizing procedures, warm nourishing masks, the shape of my curl is restored. The finest thing about these curly stains for us is its long play. One visit to the colorist is enough: the result will please you for at least 4 to 6 months.

Try the curly method and experiment by yourself. Over time, you will feel your individual shape and you will understand how much conditioner to leave on your hair, how much styling to apply, how to divide the strands, etc.

Curly hair means a character. Stay yourself!