6 must read tips & tricks on how to manage curly hair

Curly hair requires special care; but first what causes hair to curl?

Curly hair, straight hair, fine hair, thin hair; sounds like a doctor Seuss book doesn’t it? I am crazy about curls, it took me years to embrace mine. Curls come in many forms; kinky curls, loose curls, twisty curls, looped curls, even curls, scattered curls. Let’s learn some curly facts; there is a lot to know about hair. If you read my blog ‘help & answers for fine, thin hair’, you read about the difference between, texture and density, thick verses fine. What about curly versus straight hair? Curly hair requires special care; but first what causes hair to curl?

Thank your DNA for your curls; the curly hair gene is a dominant one so if one of your parents or grandparents has curly hair, your chance of inheriting curly hair is pretty high. It’s all in the follicle;

fol·li·cle noun 1. Anatomy 2. a small secretory cavity, sac, or gland, in particular, the sheath of cells and connective tissue that surrounds the root of a hair.

The shape of your follicle is the determining factor whether your hair is curly or straight. A round follicle typically produces a straight hair strand, an oval or asymmetrical follicle will produce curly hair. Now you know why you have curly hair, let’s talk about how to take care of those luscious locks. Ever notice that curly hair tends to frizz easily? Curly hair LOVES moisture and when it is thirsty the cuticle will open and your hair reaches out searching for moisture. This is one reason humidity causes frantic frizz in hair; hair is in moisture heaven and those curls are reaching out to drink up.

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Howard Stern

Kinky Curls

Just look at Howard Stern’s kinky curls, it makes sense this man with his kinky reputation would have curls to match. His hair follicle is surely abstract asymmetrical creating these tight locks. How to get the Howard curl? Follow the (below) prep steps and style with Sojourn Texture Styling Balm mixed with Sojourn Serum Smooth, you will create this gorgeous Howard kinky curl.

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Curly Prep Steps

If you are blessed with curly tresses feed that hair what it wants MOISTURE. I recommend using Sojourn Shampoo Moisture for the cleanse. Saturate your hair with water, do not wring your hair out, let the water run free. Use one to two pumps of Sojourn Shampoo Moisture, gently massage through your hair; this sulfate free shampoo is loaded with moisturizing benefits and oil extracts that help lock that moisture in. Leave it in for up to 2 minutes for the best results.

Next up, rinse that hair until it is ‘poo’ free and gently squeeze out excess water. Conditioner is a must for curly hair and Sojourn Conditioner Moisture is a definite go to; I recommend you skip one to two days of washing and just use Sojourn Conditioner Moisture on those in between days. This helps optimize healthy frizz free curls, remember moisture is curly hairs BFF.

Prep styling in the shower

Don’t be afraid to keep those first step styling products in your shower. Start adding styling products before you put a towel through your hair, gently wring your hair with your hands and add Sojourn Leave In Detangler Spray and 2-3 pumps of Sojourn Monoi Oil. This combination of pH stabilizer in the Detangle spray and pure Coconut oil in the Monoi oil offers the final kick of thirst quenching moisture for those crazy curls.

Choose your towel wisely

Step away from the towel! Cotton cloth towels can buff up the cuticle and create frizz and a dry brittle feel we are trying to avoid. Microfiber towels are best and your hair will thank you! Microfiber towels actually promote moisture retention (which we know curls want) and leave the hair feeling soft. Remember to scrunch and squeeze excess water out of your curls, avoid that scrubbing and rubbing motion.

Control the curl

Apply styling products designed to define curl without the crunch. A lot of styling product have alcohol in them and curly hair wants moisture which alcohol removes, so stay away for those styling product that have the hooch.

Luckily Sojourn styling products are alcohol free, so a combination of almost any of our styling products will be winners. Some of our favorite combinations are: Sojourn Wet/Dry Volume Gel used alone for soft control with a natural finish which can be used on your hair wet or dry to create the perfect definition. For more spring in those curls use Sojourn Wet/Dry Volume Gel mixed with Texture Molding Paste, creating bouncy pliable curls.

Always apply product from ends toward scalp in a scrunching motion; this helps keep your curls true to form; if you apply from the scalp down you risk pulling the curl which can cause hair to become fluffy and lose those bouncy defined curls we want. Avoid over touching, let your curls do what they do best, curl.

Jennifer Aniston Scrunch the waves

How to Scrunch Hair

Jennifer Aniston is showing us the perfect ‘scrunch’ move; curly hair wants to be scrunched; not brushed, combed or tussled, scrunch is a curly heads happy place. Giving your hair a gentle scrunch will help enhance those curls. Just look at Jennifer’s long wavy wondrous head of hair.

Heat it up or air it out

Air dry for a natural look, periodically scrunching those curls with your hands. Don’t have time for that and need to speed up your dry time with a hair dryer? A diffuser is a must, this will prevent the dryer from blowing your hair around creating ‘hair explosion’. Not sure how to use a diffuser; read “How to use a diffuser without ruining your curl”.

 Sojourn Thermal Protect Spray offers perfect protection from frizz and heat before a blow dry, with buriti oil this product will insure the moisture stays in your curls and the heat stays out. The goal is to give your hair heat to dry without moving it around. Don’t have a diffuser? Home remedy, use a sock on the end of your dryer; this will allow heat through and minimize air flow.

Final Finish

Finish with a pump of Sojourn Serum Smooth; this product is a home run hitter for smoothing frizz and enhancing shine. It also allows your curls to find their home with a soft silky finish.

America’s Got Talent Curls

The America’s Got Talent Judges have a couple of gems sporting two different creatively curly heads. Sorry Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel you two missed the boat on this crazy curl adventure. Well, at least Simon missed the boat;
Howie, in his earlier years, has experience with loopy locks.

   Simon Cowell not a curl in sight

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Natural Waves

Heidi Klum is wearing natural texture with a little help from a styling iron; dried to perfection to enhance her natural wave ensures the tousled hot iron finish will last all day. Sojourn’s famous Wet/Dry Volume Gel with Sojourn Thermal Protect Spray is the perfect combination to protect the hair against heat and give a natural all day hold.

Crazy Love For Curls

Crazy love for curls makes me go wild over Mel ‘s never ending curly perfection. Mel’s locks will love Sojourn Serum Smooth, Thermal Protect Spray and Texture Soft Wax. Of course the prep steps are a must to ensure maximum moisture.

If you are a member of the crazy curl family, hopefully this blog helps you fall in love with your inherited head of hair. Keep your hair connected .

Debbie Boulton

July 21, 2017