Curl Talk with Rachel Woolf

Today's post was written by my sister, Rachel, who has an incredible head of curls and knows how to use them. Take it away, Rachel! 

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When I was a little girl, my hair was short and curly (see below). It wasn’t until around 3rd or 4th grade that my hair became frizzier and less manageable. So I brushed and put it up in one of those bun hairstyles EVERY DAY because I didn't know how else to deal. It wasn’t until 6th grade that my mom said, “What if you cut it short like it was when you were little? Maybe it will be curly!” So I decided to give it a try. I cut my hair and got some product, and voila! A head-full of curls! Throughout middle school, I learned how to manage my hair. I think many people thought my curls were fake because I was one of the few who let my curls go “out to play.” I got so sick of people asking me if I had naturally curly hair that I sometimes responded “No—I get up an hour early every day to curl my hair, one strand at a time.” “Really?” they would answer.

Of course not! IT’S NATURAL!!!

I have been through every hairstyle imaginable—short, long, a-symmetrical, somewhere in-between. Right before 8th grade graduation I got my hair cut by someone who obviously wasn't used to working with curly hair. She ended up cutting it so short that it couldn’t even curl! I was so embarrassed. Throughout high school I slowly grew it out, figuring out how to define my curls better as the years went on. In college I grew it super long, so long that if I straightened it, it was longer than my sister’s

But now it is on the shorter side, and although I miss my long locks, my current hair is a lot healthier.

Now for some curly girl tricks of the trade...

First of all, never, I mean NEVER, brush your hair. If you think you may have even some wave in your hair, give this a try. The next order of business is washing your curls. I have been given so many different suggestions throughout the years on this subject. Some people swear by never shampooing, (I tried this for a while, but it didn’t work for me) others will tell you to use a no-suds-shampoo, aka “no-poo” or no-foam shampoo followed by a hydrating conditioner. I agree with them! (The reason why people say not to use shampoo or to use no-foam shampoo is because the sulfates in foaming products strip the hair of its natural oils. And for those of us who have curly hair, we need the oil in order to be healthy. As for conditioners, there are many made for curly hair. Right now I’ve been using Purology’s Hydrate conditioner. Their products are 100% vegan and are super hydrating.

ED: I have been through many, many products throughout the years. I think it is good to switch it up once your hair becomes too comfortable with a certain product. I used to be obsessed with Bouncy Crème by ISO. But eventually my hair became immune to it and the smell wasn't my favorite.

I have many store-bought products at home. I usually tend towards a crème based product, and tend to stay away from mousse and sprays. This is just what works for me. Currently, I am using a polymer-type product (Aloxxi by Nexxus) that I get at my hair salon, Above Ground Hair Studio in Ann Arbor. (A little goes a long way.)  I get my hair cut by Cookie who is the master of curls and a curly girl, herself. She cuts my hair dry, by the way, working with the mind of the curls in their natural state. You might want to discuss this method with your stylist. 

Tip: If you don’t want to air-dry your hair, blow-dry with a diffuser on cold air. My hair stylist told me that hot air damages the curls, so keep it cold!

Now that I’ve given an overview of some curly hair techniques, I am going to do a step by step tutorial of my daily hair regimen. Ready? Go:

First, when taking a shower, I use Original Moxie’s no-foam shampoo. (Every week or two I WILL use a foam shampoo if I feel there is too much build up).

Next, condition with your hair with your favorite extra hydrating conditioner. Leave it in for a few minutes and when you wash it out, don’t wash all of it away. You want your hair to have some residue to almost act as a product. (Many people use leave-in-conditioner for this purpose, but I’ve yet to experiment with that.) Sometimes I will only wash my hair with conditioner; again, it depends on what you feel your hair needs. Also be sure not to get body soap on the tips of your hair. This leads to dead ends (says my hair stylist).

When I dry my hair, I flip it forward with my head down and pat/scrunch my hair with the towel.

I then put just a dime sized amount of my polymer or whatever hair product I’m using and scrunch it in my hair, making sure I am mainly working at the ends, and not getting too much on my scalp.

From there I diffuse my hair with my head still down, working slowly until it's not as wet.

I then go back and forth scrunching it and diffusing until I'm satisfied.

(Depending on the occasion or time, I usually just let it air dry, and maybe diffuse a little later on.)

And voila! You have yourself some wonderful curls! If I decide I don’t need to wash my hair the following day, but it is a disgruntled mess from sleeping on it, I just put some water on it and a bit of product and my hair is as good as new! Curly hair loves additions of water throughout the day.

One last tool to mention. I was told to massage my scalp twice a day, and really dig in to separate sections of the hair in small circular motions. Since we don’t brush our hair, it is important to keep the hair closest to the scalp separated and free. By massaging the scalp it helps create volume in your curls and helps them not to separate into sections that are not as pretty. It also helps with hair growth!

In summary:

-Never brush your curls
-Try out a no-foam shampoo and ultra-hydrating conditioner. (Original Moxie for Shampoo, Purology for Conditioner.)
- Don’t wash all of your conditioner out of your hair
- Experiment with a good curly hair product (Bouncy Crème by Iso, Deva Curl, Bed Head, Redken.)
- Use a diffuser and use cold air, or air dry
- Massage your scalp once or twice a day
-And, perhaps most importantly, find a hair stylist who is familiar with cutting curly hair! I always trust stylists who have curly hair themselves.

Have fun with your curls!

Love, 

Rachel