Written by Elaine.
Well to embrace or not to embrace my curly hair that was my question.
I had been straightening my hair for well over twenty years and thought that was far easier and more “fashionable” but just short of two years ago my health took a turn for the worst and I could not carry on with the work it entailed to tame my mop, so back to curly it had to be. I had absolutely no idea where to start so I did a Google search and saw the Curly Girl Method and bought a ton of products with no real clue what I was doing.
I tried throwing everything at it, checking every label trying to figure out what all the ingredients meant. I spent a small fortune and I now know that I did not need the pile of products I had bought! I only found this out by going on Instagram and searching for curly hair posts. The envy I had of the curls I saw made me determined to succeed but looking at the stringy, fizzy mess I was not sure it was possible for my own hair.
I really struggled with definition and so much frizz that I honestly lost count of the times I nearly quit. Then I found Liane and had my consultation and I was hopeful I could get a routine going and finally get my curl pattern back. Just knowing I had that back up there was what kept me going! I found out that I was throwing far too much product on my hair and not the right ones either! I now know I have coarse hair and that it needs a lot of moisture to keep it happy. I also learnt that frizz is normal, I was spending so much time trying to achieve “perfect ” curls and no frizz and that is impossible, especially on my grey areas. Humidity is a killer on my curls but I now make sure to use a styling gel that is glycerin free as my final styler and this seems to be helping. But then again curls do as they please most days.
These days I am not afraid to experiment more with new techniques and products. I am trying brush styling for first time so excited to see how that goes. My curly journey is still quite new but I am seeing real improvements as time goes on!
I have learnt perfection does not exist with curly hair and also to not panic on failed wash days. We just put it in a headband or wait till the next day and do a refresh. Or if all else fails, just wash it again!
I am going through a stage right now of my hair looking better on a refresh day either on day two or three than on a wash day but I am learning now to just go with the flow. I am so happy I did not give up and am now enjoying embracing my curls and continuing to learn what works and what doesn’t. I can honestly say that my hair is in the best condition it has been for years so if you are not sure if you want to start, just go for it!
Take the leap and release the curls!