This article was written by a hired writer. It is typical of the misinformation every where. We have responded by correcting this information so consumers and professional hair designers learn the realities of what hair and hair products can and cannot do.
This part is true: It’s that time of year again! The holiday season usually means lots of travel, snow and turning up the heat indoors. But keeping warm in the winter can do a lot of damage to curly hair! Fireplaces, dry air and heating systems all dry out our curls, but there are some simple curly hair tips and tricks to protect your locks from drying out and creating frizz.
Follow just a few of these steps for your curl type and you’ll be good to go any wintery day!
1. Use that Conditioner!
Not true: Because curly hair is very porous, conditioner helps to fill the “holes” and lock in moisture. Conditioners can not be locked into hair. After a few hours conditioners breakdown.
Type 2 (Waves): Use a daily conditioning treatment when you shower. Try a light leave-in for afterwards, such as a spray leave-in or light crème. Treat your curls to a deep conditioning treatment once a week.
False: Leave-in conditioners as well as deep conditioning treatments can not protect the hair nor penetrate any deeper than the cuticle layer exposing conditioners to either dilution or dissipation.
- Type 3 (Curls): Condition regularly while you shower. Leave conditioner in your hair for an extra five to eight minutes as you shower. Apply a leave-in conditioner, or even some of your regular conditioner as your leave-in. Treat your locks to a deep conditioning treatment 1 to 2x per week, depending on your exposure to the elements and curl type. The colder your climate and tighter your curl, the more you need to deep condition. False: Again, conditioners, no matter how long you leave them in prior to rinsing will not bond to hair for more than 2 to 3 hours. Conditioning residue can make hair look dull.
- Type 4 (Kinks): Condition with every shower, leaving conditioner on an extra five to ten minutes in the shower. Apply a heavy-handed amount of leave-in conditioner afterwards (cremes work best) and use a deep conditioner treatment twice a week.
For all hair types, it’s best to stay away from blow-drying and heat tools. However, if you absolutely have to use them, make sure to cut down on drying time and use them as little as possible.
Truth: Crèmes are too light for kink, time left on doesn’t matter. It depends on the style you are trying to achieve and how much heat you need. At the end of this article please read the information, which will guide you to proper hair care.
2. Brushes and Combs are a No-No!
Except in your shower! All curl types can use a wide-tooth comb to go through their curls. Types 3 and 4 should comb through with conditioner applied to the hair, and keep it sopping wet. False: whether you use a comb or a brush conditioners should be applied from the ends up and because they are water soluble, they dilute quickly when left sopping wet.
3. Lock in Moisture
After your leave-in, it’s time to lock in the curl pattern. Keep hair as wet as possible and create three to five sections (depending on hair length) to apply curling gels or crèmes. False: Regardless of alcohol or not the dilution caused by water will breakdown the gel and leave-in conditioners.
1. Type 2 (Waves): Apply a non-alcohol based curling spray gel to your curls or waves.
2. Type 3 (Curls): Apply a non-alcohol based curl gel. Be generous, and keep your hair wet. If you need to, keep a water bottle handy and mist your curls as you apply the gel to any drying areas.
3. Type 4 (Kinks): Apply a or generously and finger twist curls into place as you apply False: unfortunately water can not control water. Water soluble products of any kind are much less affective when diluted.
4. Work the Ends!
Refresh with lavender essential oil.
The ends of our hair can be especially exposed during winter months. Follow these curly hair tips for extra moisturizing when you shower and style. False: Regardless if you use Lavender or olive oils, they breakdown as well because they are water soluble. Olive oil can become rancid in the hair after climate exposure and become a breeding ground for bacteria.
- Type 2 (Waves) Apply conditioner to the ends of your hair in the shower and leave on for three to five more minutes.
- Type 3 (Curls) Apply extra conditioner, or a deep conditioning treatment to ends for a few extra minutes while showering.
- Type 4 (Kinks) Apply deep conditioner or shea butter to ends of your curls while showering and don’t rinse out all of the treatment. False: After I have explained in the prior suggestions about water soluble products for hair, all of this information is useless.
5. No More Terrycloth Towels!
You need something smooth and absorbent that won’t cause frizz. Steer clear of terrycloth and textured towels. Be sure to blot and not rub your curls as you dry. Dry your curls with:
- Type 2 (Waves): a paper towel or cotton t-shirt.
- Type 3 (Curls): microfiber towel or a cotton t- shirt.
- Type 4 (Kinks): fiber towel, old satin pillowcase or a cotton t- shirt.
False: All of this information is old assumptions built on women using “natural” hair products, which are useless to hair. Hair is dead and doesn’t know what is chemical or natural. We used to suggest microfiber towels but not anymore since the new technology of using shampoo soluble products. These products create a protective seal on the hair creating a glide to the hair and resisting friction damage, which this writer is suggesting. T-shirts are useless as well. The reason so many women have used these techniques have found that they are time consuming and the hair eventually becomes damaged. Frizzy hair women try so hard to have healthier hair by using these useless techniques when care through cutting hair regularly and using shampoo soluble products make new growth healthier nut can only disguise the damage that has occurred through not taking the mentioned steps to start a healthier hair regime.
6. Refresh Throughout the Day
All curls and waves can benefit from a mid-day and evening “spritz” of refreshing spray. You can find sprays in drug stores or even make your own. A popular refreshening spray is made with lavender essential oil and can be used on any curl type.
Boil two quarts of water and simmer for one hour, remove from heat and add five drops of pure lavender essential oil, and stir. Allow it to cool and pour into spray bottles. Bring a mini-spray bottle in your purse or keep one at work. It’s a great way to freshen up your locks throughout the day. False: what a waste of time and money … HAIR IS DEAD!!! Oils breakdown, spritz breakdown and have no redeeming qualities unlike shampoo soluble hair products. Spritzing only ads water to the hair. The oil breakdown and the water dissipate in dry, cold climates. Hair does not become refreshed like skin. It only responds to moisture or the lack of.
7. Avoid Humectants
Try to not use products with honey, glycerin, panthenol and wheat protein. These items are great in the summer, attracting moisture to our hair when we need it. However, they do the opposite in the winter time
False: none of these ingredients really matter. Climate moisture should not be relied upon for hair moisture. The best moisture is from your shower head. The key is to lock it in during the winter and summer and block it out during the summer months. None of the ingredients listed above can make hair healthier or create moisture, they can only make the hair “feel” different but have little redeeming value.
8. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
All curls can benefit from sleeping on a satin-pillowcases as curls and waves won’t dry out so quickly, as they would with a cotton case. You may also opt to wrap your curls in a silk or satin bonnet or scarf instead. Either way, curls will be more defined and less frizzy. False: Satin can help avoid friction, which is the biggest cause of hair breakage and frizz but they are expensive and unreliable. If hair does not have a gliding product on the cuticle, hair still can cause friction against one another. The scarves, satin pillowcases and bonnets only protect the outer layers of hair, not the hair bound under that layer. ALL of the hair needs to have a sealer that is shampoo soluble that can protect all of the hair. That used with a satin pillowcase is the optimum protection against friction. I don’t know about you but I like the freedom of sleeping with my hair free instead of bound.
9. Cover Up!
When venturing into the great outdoors, and the dry, cold elements, be sure to cover your curls with a crocheted hat or loose scarf. Don’t allow curls to be “pressed” down onto your scalp. Attempt to pile curls up and not flatten them. False: With the right hair products, this can be eliminated. The curls stay strong and defined with a light hood to cover up instead of crocheted caps. Your hair will have more bounce no matter what you wear on your head.
10. Keep Your Body Hydrated
Your hair and skin will thank you for the extra H2O intake during the winter months. Find a water bottle that you can refill and bring with you from home to work, school, visits with friends, etc. All curl types benefit from more water. True
Final Thoughts
Remember, in the winter months with cool weather outside and hot temperatures inside, you curls need TONS of moisture. Leave conditioner on longer in the shower, be sure to only co-wash (that goes for you too, wavies!), deep condition often, and use protective styles!
Co-washing is a new term used for not shampooing your hair regularly. Doing this creates scalp issues such as dirty scalp and its aroma that the wearer can’t smell but her man can. Also, it creates buildup and eventual flaking. Using the ONLY shampoo soluble product Moisture Block instead of using the water based products and the techniques mentioned by naturally curly allows your hair to move, swing, shine, not frizz, maintain perfect moisture content, protect hair from heat, friction, breakage and much, much more. Save yourself time, money and rituals that really don’t work. Go to www.gotfrizz.com . Watch the videos and read the posts. Learn the realities about your hair.