The curl guide unbelievable curls
I KNOW OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT WAS A LOT! A LOT OF INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO YOU! YOU ALSO HAVE A ALL NEW HAIR ROUTINE TO PRACTICE AND LEARN. THE CURL GUIDE WILL HELP YOU WITH UNDERSTANDING EACH STEP WHILE YOU LEARN YOUR NEW CURLY HAIR ROUTINE.
table of Contents
shampoo & conditioner
Detox
Styling
Diffusing
Sleeping & Refreshing
Products
Shampoo & Condition
Shampoo
Wet your hair thoroughly before you start shampooing your scalp and hair. Water is your number one rule when it comes to curly hair remember to add water before you add product. Most products are highly concentrated and perform best when lathered in your hands to emulsify the product before applying it to your scalp and hair.
After lathering in your hands, apply the shampoo directly to your scalp. Scrub vigorously until you have a rich lather. Use your fingertips or scalp massaging brush to manipulate your scalp. If you don't achieve a rich lather in the first wash, it’s your sign to proceed with a second wash. Use half the amount of shampoo for the second wash. Not everyone will need just one wash. The first wash will remove product buildup and oil from your hair.
The second wash cleans and helps remove product buildup from the scalp and hair further. Not everyone will need a second wash. Remember if you get a good lather on the first wash you don't need a second one. Remember to add more water before you add more shampoo.
Condition
When adding conditioner, start small, you can always add more. Shampoo starts with the scalp conditioner concentrates on your hair ends and is used sparingly. Remember Organic products are extremely concentrated. Start with 2-3 pumps of conditioner, lather between your palms, and begin to spread all over your hair starting at your ends. Once the conditioner is distributed, start with a small section of your hair (I would start inthe nape) and detangle. You can use your fingers to finger comb, a wide-toothed comb, or a Wet brush. Start at the ends of your hair and work your way to the scalp. Add water every few passes to further aid in detangling and moisturizing. This is Important!!
Water has the most hydration for your curls. You may add more conditioner. However, make sure when adding conditioner you are adding water first then a small amount of conditioner. Emulsify the product in your hands then add the conditioner to your hair that has not yet been conditioned. You can always "Squish To Conditioner " tilt your head side to side and tip your head forward gathering your hair in your hands from the tip to the root. Squish to conditioner in the hair. ( I notice I get the best curls when I take the time for this step)
Work the conditioner into your curls until each section is slippery and smooth. If your hair is dehydrated it could take a while. You can also use a deep conditioner just at the ends to add extra hydration to the ends. When rinsing you can leave a little bit of the conditioner in for hydration.
You can choose to apply your styling products in the shower or clip your hair up and apply the product outside the shower. It's ideal to have as much water as possible left in your hair. ( Pro tip I apply styling products in the shower before I wash my body.)
Lather - a frothy white mass of bubbles produced by soap or similar cleansing substance when mixed with water.
Emulsify - emulsify the shampoo in your hands by rubbing them together in a circular motion; this will assist to dilute the shampoo and make it more balanced.
Nape - the back of your neck.
Hydration - is water in the two internal layers of your hair. Cortex, and Medulla are the two layers, they absorb and retain water.
Pulsating - gather a small hand full of hair from the ends and raise the hair to the roots making a fist. Gently pulsate the hair with water and product.
Detox
Let's talk about how detoxing is important for your beautiful curls
Let's chat. Before you embark on a detox journey, there are a few things you should grasp. The outer layer of your hair, the cuticle, is similar to shingles on a roof – shielding the cortex and medulla. These shingles can get clogged, leading to the number one cause of dehydrated hair.
Does your hair seem dull, weighed down, or greasy? What about dry, frizzy, or hair breakage? Are your products not working as you'd hoped? Curly hair loves to feel weightless with no product build-up. Have you been using products with silicones, oils, or butter?
Silicones, oils, and butter are products to avoid when picking styling products. Most ingredients used in making them aren’t great for your hair.Mineral build-up is the second culprit for dehydrated hair. I suggest adding a clarifying treatment at home or in the salon, at least once a month. Detoxing begins with a clarifying shampoo, followed by treatments for product , mineral or hard water buildup. These treatments jump-start the detox process. Product build-up didn't happen in a day; it won't come off in a day. A good timeline is 4-8 weeks to help remove any build-up from your hair. During this period, wash your hair 2-3 with a clarifying shampoo, followed by your regular shampoo each time you wash. Different hair types and products used play a role in how much product buildup occurs on the hair and scalp. Product build-up blocks water from reaching the inner layers of your hair. That's why detoxing is so important.After removing product buildup, all you want to do is maintain a clean, lightweight curl. Detox 1-2 times a month. Wash your hair 2-3 with your choice of clarifying shampoo (follow directions on the bottle), then finish with your regular shampoo, and conclude with a deep conditioner.
This treatment can take moisture from your hair, so ensure you add it back in. You can do multiple washes in a row if you have heavy build-up you're trying to get rid of.
Cuticle- The cuticle is your hair’s protective layer, composed of overlapping cells.
Cortex - The cortex forms the main bulk and pigment (colour) of your hair. It consists of long keratin filaments, which are held together by disulfide and hydrogen bonds. The health of your cortex depends largely on the integrity of the cuticle protecting it.
Medulla - the medulla is a loosely packed, disordered region near the center of the hair surrounded by the cortex, which contains the major part of the fiber mass, mainly consisting of keratin proteins and structural lipids.
Detox- It rids your hair of suffocating buildup while nourishing the scalp. It helps stimulate hair follicles, allowing for hair growth and clears the scalp of dandruff, acne, and scabbing.
Dehydrated - Hair that lacks hydration (a.k.a. dehydrated hair) typically looks dull and feels rough. Additionally, it's tough to style, extra oily, lacks volume, and split ends are much more noticeable. In appearance, it's very similar to dry hair which is why it can be tough to distinguish between the two.
Styling
DON’T BE AFRAID OF learning a curly HAIRSTYLE ROUTINE. it’s easier than you think.
Product application is often the most feared yet the most crucial part of your curl routine. This is always done on wet hair. You can decide to apply your product in the shower or get out and apply it in front of the mirror. In the beginning, I suggest standing in front of a mirror. Make sure to have a spray bottle on hand when applying the product in front of the mirror. Section your hair in 1-inch wide horizontal sections. You will end up with 5 to 6 sections to work with. This will ensure that styling products are distributed evenly throughout the hair.
Start with the section of your hair in the nape from ear to ear. Add a small amount of product to your hands and emulsify it before applying it to your hair. Water-soluble products will mix with the water. Use your fingers to distribute from roots to ends. Do your best to apply the product at the roots without applying it all over your scalp.
While you are smoothing the product through each section, make sure you are pressing the product into the hair between your palms and fingers. The method is called PrayingHands. You don't want to be yanking your hard, but rather gently pressing the product into your hair for smooth curls. The other method you can use is Racking, finger comb your hair separating and smoothing your curls with gently pressing. Continue this motion from the roots through the ends; you can use a Wet brush, Denman brush, or Bounce brush in conjunction if desired. This willensure even product distribution, and separation of your curls. Add water before more product every single time you start a new section or before you make the decision to add more product. You may find that adding water is all you need to move the product around. Remember to apply your product straight out from where the hair grows. For instance, when applying the product on top, pull your hair up straight, this provides extra volume and root lift. After applying the product to 2 sections it's time to scrunch and pulsate. Add water before beginning, gather your hair from the bottom and bring it to your root and pulsate. Pulsating causes product and water to evenly penetrate your hair. We want to hear the squishing sound. Scrunching your hair in this motion encourages your natural curl pattern to form. If you have any challenging areas, add a little extra product to your hands and pulsate or scrunch that section for a few extra seconds.
Before you towel dry, make sure your curls look in place. If you have frizzy wet hair, you will have frizzy dry hair.
The first product I almost always start with is GEL! The gel will help give you control of your curls, whether it be a light or strong hold gel. Gel also helps to encapsulate the moisture in the hair. You can always layer your products on top of each other. If you need more hold and control layer more gel. If you want more volume, apply mousse if you want a soft feel to your curls apply a cream.n your next step, take more product in your hands, slinky up your curls to the root area, and pulsate SCRUNCH! Do this every other section throughout your hair. Once you are done, it's time to take the moisture out. You can use a microfiber towel, tea towel, or T-shirt. Don’t use a normal towel; it will take out too much moisture and styling product off your hair. Leaving your hair Frizzy.
I like to start with a microfiber towel first to remove the most moisture, then use a flour sack towel, tea towel or T-shirt to take out more water. The flour sack or T-shirt takes out the least amount of water, but it causes the least amount of static and friction with your hair. But you can use what's best for your hair. your towel choice and slink your curls up into the towel. Use a pulsating motion to take out moisture. Don't move your curls around too much while it's wet you can cause frizz. I like to finish with a little bit of foam or Deva Curl Medium Hold Hairspray or Innersense I Create Finish. This acts as an anti-humectant and helps with frizz. Plopping - is a technique that uses a flour sack, cotton T-shirt (or pillowcase, or microfiber towel) to dry your wet curls in a self-contained mound on top of your head, helping to increase definition and cut down on frizz. You can let your hair dry like this or dry halfway then finish diffusing with a blow dryer.
Let’s talk clipping!! If you have trouble areas such as the top for volume or front pieces for control, you should use your clips. You want to clip against the way the hair wants to fall. For example, if you have trouble with the volume on your part line, clip your hair up while drying. If the front pieces fall on your face, clip them back away from your face while drying. This will help you control your trouble spots.
Praying Hands - Take a small section of the hair and clasp it between your palms start at the root and pull evening all the way to the ends.
Scrunching - Where you cup and squeeze your hair in your hands or a towel to help shape curls. Start at the end and lift to the root. Only grab what will fit in your hand.
Pulsate - A rhythmic expanding and contracting movement or action.
Frizz - Lack of hydration and moisture or has been manipulated too much.
Plopping - A heatless drying technique that involves wrapping your hair into a Microfiber towel or T-shirt to air-dry.
Microfiber Towel - A synthetic fabric consisting of ultra-fine fibers.
Tea Towel - Thin towel made of linen or cotton.
Racking - Pulling product between your fingers to separate curls and distribute product evening.
Diffusing
Let's dry those curls
Let's start with your blow-dryer setting, medium to high heat and low to medium airflow. Each dryer is different, watch the heat setting you don't want to cook your curls. A diffusing attachment is needed for your blow-dryer for this step.
You will want to hover over your curls with the diffuser attachment on until 65% dry. I think of my hair in 4 sections when blow-drying top, bottom, and side to side. Get a good cast in the section before you flip your hair. You can always dry your hair in any position that is comfortable. Drying side to side works great too, you just have to find what's most comfortable. Try to not move your hair too much while it's wet. Once a cast is set, you can begin collecting small sections of hair in the diffuser, raise the diffuser to your scalp. This is a good way to dry our scalp, but we also get a lot shrinkage when we do this step. If you are wanting a looser curl make sure to do this as little as possible. The motion is a lot like towel drying your hair, slinky your hair into the diffuser, and let those curls dry up close to your scalp. Continue this motion on your entire head.
Now that your hair is dry and you look like you have that 90s hair look going. It’s time to Scrunch out the Crunch!! There are a few ways to scrunch that crunch, Start with Roping; grab a small section start at the root and walk your hand down your hair like holding a rope pulsating to break up that cast. Scrunching motion is one of my favorites, grab a small handful start at the bottom and squish your curls together to break them apart. The more you break up your curls the bigger and frizzer your hair will get.
If at any time you begin to have too much frizz for your liking, stop wet your curls back down with water and start again.
Frizz - Lack of hydration and moisture or has been manipulated too much.
Plopping - A heatless drying technique that involves wrapping your hair into a Microfiber towel or T-shirt to air-dry.
Microfiber Towel - A synthetic fabric consisting of ultra-fine fibers.
Tea Towel - Thin towel made of linen or cotton.
Cast - A hard shell that forms around the hair to help hold in moisture, and set the curl.
Sleeping & Refreshing
While sleeping, to preserve your curls, you can try these methods:
Use a silk or satin scrunchie to create a "pineapple" or loose bun at the crown of your head.
Alternatively, wrap your hair on top of your head and secure it with a large claw clip.
You can also leave your curls down, but this might lead to some flattening.
I suggest sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase, as it will benefit your hair, regardless of how you style it.
My rule of thumb for refreshing curls is to wet your hair to the desired level to manage frizz effectively. Refreshing curls varies for each person. You can dampen your hair in the sink or with a spray bottle, then gently apply water to any frizzy areas. Smooth down frizz with your hands in a downward motion. If needed, you can apply more hair products to combat frizz, but be mindful not to overdo it as it may weigh down your curls. Use a diffuser and clips as needed. Alternatively, you can choose specific curls to refresh instead of refreshing your entire hair.
