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Curly Crimes

Hey all you curlies! I’m sure we’ve all had those days when we look at our curly locks in the mirror and go.. WHY?! WHY ME!! (While others look at us and go… ‘Oh how I Envy you!’)

I’m sure you’ve wanted to straighten them out, or even actually gone ahead and re-bonded them. (I did! Once upon a time…)

But over the years, I’ve had a happy realization (thank Heavens for it) that my curly hair is actually the best thing that ever happened to me… and that managing them, is probably the easiest thing on planet style… if you just know what to do… (or what NOT to do..!)

So here’s my list of the 8 most criminal things you need to avoid, in order to maintain those gorgeous curls!

Crime 1: Doubting your curls!

In India, I find it absolutely hilarious when I walk into a salon and say I want my hair styled… the 1st thing people suggest is to iron them out… or worse even.. ‘go for permanent straightening… or do a sistine’! I feel like screaming “Dude! What problem do you have with my hair!!!” Everyone seems to want to pull on it and somehow, make it look like everyone else’s!

Trust me, the moment someone suggests ridding you off your curls, ask them to get lost! … Don’t let them put a doubt in your mind … Your curls are what make you sexy, funky and different from the rest of the crowd! The best thing about having curly locks is that you look Glamourous, even if you just got out of bed…!

Believe it or not, a curly crop of hair, is Aphrodite’s ultimate gift to you! So be proud of it, treat it special and wear your curls with confidence.

Crime 2: Combing your hair

It might sound ridiculous but yea.. you read it right! Thou must NOT comb thy hair! Combing or brushing your hair will make your curls open up and become frizzy. Since our hair also tends to get knotted a lot more than others’, trying to comb them means you’re pulling on them causing them to break! So.. Let’s just avoid the whole thing all together!

All you need to do is use a very good conditioner after you shampoo… that’ll make sure there are no knots in our hair, and then just use your fingertips to scrunch your towel-dried hair!

The best thing about curly hair is that it looks stylish and sexy no matter how messy it is… After all, messy is the whole deal right! So just leave your hair and don’t touch it… and it’ll work for itself.

Personally, I don’t own a comb or a hair-brush. I haven’t used one in over 6 years… (except when I go for a hair-cut or style it.) So from personal experience… this really works.. And how easy is it!

(I’m currently using TIGI’s Catwalk Curls Rock shampoo and conditioner, but I think any good moisturising shampoo for dry hair works too along with a good, thick conditioner)

Crime 3: Blow drying

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Blow drying is the ultimate curl crime! In general, blow drying with hot air is extremely harmful for hair… but more-so for the curls coz they ‘frizz up’ rather than ‘curl up’ and that is what gives you that bushy, Afro! And if you think you’re going to use comb with the drier, then chances are you’ll open them up and you’ll have weird waves rather than the gorgeous curls!

If in case you’re cold, or need your hair to dry faster… use a diffuser instead of a blow-drier. (A diffuser is a large round bowl-like attachment for the hair-drier, which doesn’t blow hot hair into your hair… instead just provides heat that dries your hair and helps the scrunched look)

Crime 4: Not Oiling Enough!

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It’s the age-old universal hair tip! Oiling! But for curly hair it’s even more important because if you’re not combing your hair… you need that blood circulation from the massage at least twice a week. You could even use a large-tooth comb after you oil, just to get the blood circulation going. It’s important for a healthy scalp, hair growth and it also keeps them moisturized so they don’t go dry and form that moss over your head!

I personally swear by Ayurvedic and herbal oils… Neelibhringadi by Bipha Ayurveda and Hamdard’s Roghan Badam Shirin (Almond oil) are my most favorites! I use the almond oil mixed with a little coconut oil coz it’s quite sticky by itself. Pure grapeseed oil is supposed to be wonderful for your hair… but it has a really terrible smell… and so I use it very occassionally… 🙂

Crime 5: Letting them grow too long!

Have you ever felt that your curls have sort-of opened up and lost their beautiful bounce? Well chances are… your hair’s grown too long!

Unless you have those really noodle-like curls, the slightly bigger curls tend to open up due to the weight of the hair when it’s long beyond a point.

Now it’s for everyone to individually decide when their curls start sagging, but  the next time you feel it’s going wavy at the top rather than being curly, you know it’s time for a hair-cut!

Crime 6: Not going to a curly stylist

No one understands a curls better than a curly-whurly! Find yourself a good stylist who has curly locks themselves. They’re the only ones who’ll treat your curls with the love and respect they deserve, while giving you all those wonderful inside tips!

Crime 7: Not investing in a good product

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Get yourself a good quality leave-in conditioner or a balm / moisturizer, especially made for curly hair, that you can use to scrunch your hair regularly. That’ll keep that frizz at bay and to give your curls a slight definition.. Usually products for curly hair have a slight hold, so once you’ve applied it, you don’t find the need to do much else.

My favorite is the Moroccan intense curl cream… and for the more occassional, more intense curls.. I swear by TIGI bed head’s Small Talk.

Crime 8: Running your fingers through them!

Never run your fingers through your hair… And NEVER let anyone else TOUCH your hair – simply coz they won’t know how to!

Running your fingers through curly hair, tends to open the curls causing them to frizz up. Worst still, is that your fingers, in all likelihood, will get stuck at the ends… and in trying to yank them out, you end up traumatizing and breaking your hair…

So when you touch your hair, always touch them with your whole palm rather than your fingers (in a scrunching action)… and teach that to your partner too… So that  next time they know how to touch and enjoy your curls, rather than getting stuck in them and being yelled at! 😉

Have fun being curly wink

 

Photo Courtesy: Anoop Padalkar (https://www.facebook.com/anoop.photography/?fref=ts)

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About Me

Sonal is a Post Graduate in Luxury Brand Management from Polimoda Institute of Fashion Design and Marketing, Florence (Italy) and has over 9 years of experience as a Brand Strategist working in the advertising industry.



She has also been a Consumer Insights Miner specializing in fashion and luxury brands.