Curly Girl...Here I Come!

I've been frustrated with my hair lately.

Wait, let me rephrase that. I've been frustrated with my hair for a long time.

When I was a kid, my hair was straight straight straight. Thick and straight, slippery straight, so straight that ribbons and bands slipped out of my hair. But I knew how to deal with straight hair. I grew up with it.

As I got older, stylists started saying that my hair had "body". Then my hair started getting a little bit wavy. And then really wavy. And now I'd even call it curly. (My Mom had super straight hair and my Dad had very curly hair. I guess his genes kicked in kinda late with me.)

I haven't felt as though I've known what to do with this curly hair. Too short and it shrubs. I had one stylist tell me that cutting my hair was like doing topiary.

Having it longer seemed better, though it still hasn't always behaved the way I wanted it to. There has been frizz. I've had cuts that make it look like I'm trying to be Rosanna Rosanna Danna.

I've tried to tame the curls with flat irons and blow dryers. I've tried to go curly. I've used products for straightening hair. Products for getting rid of frizz. Products for bringing out the curl. None of them seem to make a huge difference in making my hair look decent and not be frizzy.

I've been so tired of having my hair cut and having it not look good. Tired of trying to brush out and flatten and get rid of the curls. Tired of feeling as though I'm spending money on products that don't seem to do anything for my hair.

Isn't there a better way?

Last week I remembered a book I'd seen years ago...CURLY GIRL by Lorraine Massey. I found the website, and wanted to explore further. So I bought the book...

       

And Curly Girl: The Handbook [With DVD] is great.

Massey has many recommendations that fly in the face of what most stylists recommend. Like not using shampoo. Or at least not using shampoo with certain harsh chemicals in it. Like not using terrycloth towels to dry wet curly hair. Like not using products with silicone or paragons or phthalates or most alcohols. Like using lavender water to revitalize the curls. Like letting the curls be as curly as they can!

In addition, Massey recommends cutting curly hair differently than straight hair. First of all, cutting the hair dry, and then cutting with the curls, which are as individual as the people who have them.

So I'm trying it her way.

I had my hair cut by a Deva curl stylist the other day. I made some lavender water to spritz on my hair. I am trying to work with my curl.

Is my hair perfect? Not yet. I saw the stylist a second time for some more shaping. And according to Massey, it takes time for the hair to get healthy after straightening and using harsh chemical products.

But I'm liking starting the process. My hair already looks and feels better. Healthier.

Curly Girl, here I come!

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