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Ways to Rock Bangs with Curly Hair
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Exactly How To Cut and Style Bangs If You Have Curly Hair
Bangs. You see women rocking the fringe on social media, and they’re usually showcased on ladies with straight hair—but that doesn’t mean curly-haired gals can’t get in on the fun, too.
Plenty of A-listers have sported curly hair with bangs and looked darn good rocking them. The key to perfecting curly bangs is crossing your I’s and dotting your T’s. This shouldn’t be an impromptu moment of grabbing the scissors and chopping your strands. Whatever you do, please don’t do that.
Since curly manes have a mind of their own, you want to leave this job to the hands of a stylist who has experience cutting and styling curly hair with bangs. Trust us, you’ll be thankful in the end, because you don’t want to have to clip those jagged curly hair bangs back for the next six months to hide a bad cut job. That’s why we’re here to help. Keep reading to learn more about the ins and outs of committing to curly bangs.
Should People With Curly Hair Get Bangs?
In short, the answer is yes, yes, and yes! There should be no limits to styling or cutting your hair just because it's curly. In fact, you can actually use your curly texture to your advantage. Curly hair with bangs is a match made in heaven.
If you committed to curly hair bangs, but decided they’re not for you, don’t worry. Styling your bangs while they’re growing out may be a challenge, but it just requires patience. Depending on how quickly your hair grows and how short you cut them, you may be able to grow out your curly bangs in just a few months. For others, it may take six months to a year, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have awkward hair days forever. When in doubt, talk with your stylist about how to style your hair during the growing out process. If you do run into a snafu with your curly shag, don’t fret. Consider it a temporary look and rock it to its fullest.
How Can I Make Bangs Look Good With My Curly Hair?
Before booking your appointment to request bangs with curly hair, follow these simple guidelines to ensure you come out with the exact look you desire. From a dry cut to styling bangs fresh out of the shower, we’re sharing these easy-to-follow tips so you can transition into your new style with ease.
1. Ask Your Stylist to Cut Your Bangs Dry
You’ve probably heard that cutting curly hair wet can come with a little guesswork. That’s because curl shrinkage is real. Your curl pattern can change drastically once dry, so it’s really a big guessing game to pull out scissors on wet curls. For the best shape and definition, ask your stylist to cut your hair dry. And the same goes for your bangs. Cutting your curly hair with bangs dry not only helps to get an accurate length of your bangs, but it also helps to know how your curls will fall once styled. There’s nothing worse than cutting bangs only to find out they are five inches shorter once dry and styled. Yeah, let’s avoid that at all costs.
2. Longer Is Better Than Shorter
Remember we mentioned shrinkage? For this reason alone, you should ask your stylist to start with a longer bang than you think you want. If your curly hair bangs are cut longer to begin with, you’ll have some wiggle room to adjust the length to your liking. If the stylist cuts them too short, well, there’s nothing that can fix the problem besides time. Best case scenario: Have your stylist cut your bangs long, then wash, dry, style, and make any adjustments from there. Again, the goal is to give yourself some flexibility to make adjustments to achieve the curly bangs of your dreams.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Wash Your Bangs More Frequently Than The Rest of Your Hair
It’s highly recommended to avoid washing your curls every day, but this may not be true for curly hair with bangs. You may find that your ringlets look their best when freshly styled. So, even if you don’t wash your hair every day, you may want to wash and reset your bangs. This may involve shampooing, conditioning, and styling, or simply spritzing with a little water and adding a styling product. The choice is truly yours. However often you wash, the key to keeping frizz at bay is to limit the amount of touching and manipulation once you’ve reset your bangs.
4. Apply Product While Your Bangs Are Still Wet
While it may seem like a good idea to add a cream or gel to your second-day bangs, you want to make sure you apply styling products while your hair is wet. Our go-to product for styling bangs is the Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Styling Pudding. It provides moisture, hold, and helps define your curls, thanks to shea butter, macadamia, avocado, sweet almond, and jojoba oils.
5. A Curling Wand Is Your Friend
There may be days when your curls aren’t cooperating with you, and a few strands in your curly hair bangs are out of place. To remedy this, grab a curling wand with a barrel width that is similar to your curl pattern. Set it to a low- to medium-heat setting, and wrap your hair around the wand to add definition to those unruly strands. And voila! You’ve got perfectly defined spirals in just minutes.
6. Keep Up With Your Trims
Don’t adopt the habit of waiting to trim your bangs with curly hair until they start interfering with your eyesight. It’s best to trim them every four to six weeks. Keeping up with routine trims will not only help you stick to your desired bang length, but if you’re choosing to grow your hair out, it will ensure your longer hair is healthy and free of split ends.
How to Style Bangs With Curly Hair?
Now that you’ve got your new fringe, the question is, how do you rock naturally curly hair with bangs? And the truth is, there’s really no right or wrong way. You can sport them down, toss them to the side, or even pin them back if you please. Truth be told, there are no curly hairstyles that are off limits. But it is important to remember when you’re styling your bangs that you want to avoid heavy or oily products. Instead, opt for lightweight creams and gels that will keep them in place without altering the texture, like Goddess Strength Divine Strength Leave In Cream with Castor Oil or Pracaxi Nectar Style Control Gel.
If you find that your bangs are shrinking more than you’d like as they dry, try gently pulling on the ends with your fingers. Again, avoid tousling your curls, so you don’t end up with frizzy, undefined strands. Instead, spray some water on the ends and gently lengthen your curls with a lightweight product, like the Pracaxi Nectar Wash n’ Go Leave-In. It’s formulated with pracaxi oil, acai extract, and olive oil that replenish moisture in dry stands and add light definition to curls without weighing them down.
Bottom Line
If you’re itching for a new style, make that appointment for a fresh cut with bangs. Just remember the tips and tricks to perfecting your fringe. And most importantly, enjoy the process. You look great, girl!
If you want to learn more about how to switch up your look, check out this guide on How To Achieve A Gorgeous, Defined Twist Out.
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from The Atlantic
When a woman picks up a pair of scissors, she also picks up a trope.
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Are You Emotionally Stable Enough to Get Bangs?
A Questionnaire
It’s that time again, when you look in the mirror, question every decision you’ve ever made, and then ask yourself, “Should I get bangs?” Here’s a helpful questionnaire to guide you to the right answer:
1. Are you looking to just change things up?
2. Did you get the idea because you saw a cool Instagram model who had flawless fringe bangs and you thought, Yeah, I could do that?
3. Are you tired of getting your eyebrows done?
4. Is this the first time in ten years that you’ll have bangs, and do you therefore not know what they will look like on your now fully formed adult head?
5. Do you put your hair up a lot and feel like maybe, if you had bangs, people wouldn’t notice that your hair is constantly a mess and never clean, and also that the bangs might make people think you actually put effort into the way you look?
6. Are you going through a breakup?
7. Are you suffering from crippling loneliness?
8. Are you going through a breakup and suffering from crippling loneliness, and can you not quite pinpoint which came first?
9. Do you feel as if bangs will cover up your deepest insecurities and also your forehead acne and that this two-for-one in the pros column outweighs the fact that your face shape isn’t incredibly bangs-friendly?
10. Are you considering changing your look, packing your bags, and moving to a new place to open a bookstore, even though you know that would be a terrible idea, because small businesses are really tough, but who cares because you just watched “You’ve Got Mail” and you want to live that charming Kathleen Kelly life style, dammit!
11. Are you trying to go incognito and flee the country, running from a crime that you may or may not have committed, and, sure, it was just an accident, but who is going to believe you, but, hey, since you’ve never had an A-line bob with bangs before, maybe it’s the perfect disguise?
12. Are you hoping that bangs will help you avoid eye contact with everyone you meet, because someone once told you that eyes are the windows to the soul, and if that’s the case you’re, like, “Count me out!” so you opt for bangs, because if eyes are the windows then bangs are the curtains, and if you can keep those curtains drawn you’ll never look someone in the eyes long enough to fall in love, and if you can’t fall in love there’s no chance for heartbreak, which is ultimately your biggest fear in life?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should not get bangs, but you probably will anyway.
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Men: A step-by-step guide
to achieve 4 'oppa' hairstyles
from BTS’ V to Hyun Bin
When it comes to great-looking hair, you can’t go wrong taking a cue from Korean pop stars and leading men. You might want to skip the barber for this round.
Thinking it’s about time to switch things up, hair-wise? Guys, if you’re still getting that dated undercut or the same quick once-over with the hair clippers – yes, we think you’re definitely in need of a hair makeover and perhaps should consider going to a hair salon instead of the barber.
Want a 'do that will up your style cred, as well as get you the right attention? Look to the heads of South Korea’s most popular idols and celebrities for inspiration. They’re setting the biggest hair trends for men in Asia, if not the world, according to Readen Chia, associate director of Chez Vous Hair Salon.
CNA Lifestyle got him to pick out four “oppa” (older brother) hairstyles that a regular guy can also successfully try, and explain what goes into their making – whether they require a specific cut, hair product, hairstyling tools and techniques that, we assure you, won’t be too tough to execute.
GONG YOO’S CURTAIN PARTED BANGS
This hairstyle is all about the bangs, which can be parted at the centre or on either side of the hairline (best done in a 3:7 ratio) – no surprise why it takes its name from the drapes hanging over your windows.
Obviously, a longer fringe is requisite for this look. At the same time, it requires some level of volume and texture – in other words, you’ll probably need a perm or, in lieu of that, decent DIY hairstyling skills.
Chia noted that this hairstyle is usually worn with wavy, permed hair. “Unfortunately, this oppa hairstyle may scream ahjussi (uncle) for some, because not everyone looks good with wavy hair. In fact, some of us may look older than we actually are after a perm,” he said.
Want a preview of how it will look on you? Chia suggested asking your hairstylist to create a temporary wave for you with hairstyling tools before you take the plunge.
Chia also advised those with thinning hair or very fine hair to stay away from curtain bangs. “This hairstyle requires good hair density and thickness, otherwise, the parting will look overly wide and sparse,” he explained.
Once you have a perm in place, it’s not too complicated to finesse the look at home. Here’s what to do:
1. Apply hairstyling mousse on damp hair.
2. Blow-dry hair in the opposite direction of where you want it to fall on your head to create volume.
3. Shape and add definition to the fringe and rest of the hair with a light hair wax, then set the hairstyle with hairspray.
V OF BTS’ MODERN MULLET
This year’s trendiest hairstyle for men is, admittedly, not easy to accept for the average Singaporean gent. But that’s what trends are – they are not meant for everyone, but those with the requisite attitude to pull them off, and definitely jobs that do not have a strict dress code.
Most people think of G-Dragon when the mullet is mentioned, but there are actually many other subtler takes on the hairstyle besides the extreme versions seen on the Korean rapper. In fact, Chia thinks that it can be a very versatile hairstyle for men.
“The mullet can be customised to suit different hair types, and there are so many variations on the style. You can wear it longer at the back and with micro bangs for a punk-rock vibe; with a side fringe part or comma fringe (described below) for a K-pop-idol-inspired look; or not quite so long at the back and with a permed top and fringe for a preppy-ish look,” he explained.
To achieve the version of the modern mullet you desire, Chia advised to go to your hairstylist with reference pictures, since it can be hard for the layman to describe or distinguish between the many different components of the hairstyle’s multiple variations.
“Take note that the back of a mullet can grow out of shape quickly, so it may not be ideal for those with uneven hair growth or a slanted hairline at the back, and probably those who dislike making frequent trips to the salon for haircut maintenance,” he added.
A pro of having a mullet is that it is easy to style at home, says Chia. Here’s what to do:
1. Use a thickening spray on hair that is damp, and then blow-dry hair.
2. Shape and add definition to hair with hair wax, and spray on a texturising spray.
KIM SOO-HYUN’S COMMA HAIR
Named after the punctuation mark because of the curled-inwards fringe, this hairstyle has been popular among male Korean idols since a few years ago and, according to Chia, is still in fashion now.
The best thing about it is that you don’t need a perm – all you need is to know how to produce a C-shaped curl with either a flat iron or a hairdryer. It’s not too complicated for a guy to learn – ask your hairstylist for tips on how best to recreate the look he or she has given you.
While comma hair used to be seen on Korean stars in a more precise, defined shape, these days, it’s more commonly worn in a slightly tousled, more-textured style. “Comma-ed” bangs are typically worn on the highly popular two-block cut, or its slightly mushroom-shaped cousin. Get the haircut right and you’re set for hairstyling success at home:
1. Apply pomade (for a wet look) or hair wax (for a matte look) on damp hair, then part your hair.
2. Blow-dry your hair while using your fingers as a shaping tool. You can create the “comma” curls by picking up individual locks along your hairline and pushing them up into a C shape, then directing the hot air from hairdryer at it until it dries.
3. A flat iron can also be used – clamp it over a lock of hair and flick it inwards, towards your face, while running the styling tool through the hair. Work section by section until you achieve your desired look. You’ll need some practise for either methods, but eventually you’ll learn how to effectively control the hairstyling tool.
4. Set your hairstyle with hairspray.
HYUN BIN’S SLICKED-BACK HAIR
A classic hairstyle for men, this style channels a smart, dressy vibe, which explains why Korean celebrities love to sport it when attending award ceremonies. Chia pointed out that you’d hardly see any guys with slicked-back hair on the streets in South Korea, however, because many of them actually consider it to be a dated hairdo that makes them look older than they really are.
“For most Korean men, a visible fringe is an important ‘tool’ for appearing youthful – a trait not found in slicked-back hair,” he added. Still, it’s an undeniable fact that the stars look great in the slicked-back look, and you can too. Their secret? Instead of pulling their hair from the front and straight to the back from the hairline, they go for a side-swept variation with a parting.
This hairdo will suit just about any type of hair, although it may look more modern if your hair is cut shorter on the sides and back of the head. “This is the easiest men’s hairstyle to style at home,” said Chia. For an updated take, leave some strands of the fringe loose and tousled for a “carefree” look.
1. Apply pomade on hair that has been 50 per cent blow-dried. If you’d like to create a wet look, put the product on wet hair. Alternatively, if you desire a matte look, put it on dry hair.
2. Part hair and comb it in the direction to create your desire look.
3. Set your hairstyle with hairspray.
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to Washing Your Hair Less
Weaning yourself off the shampoo bottle might seem daunting, but anyone can do it, given the right approach.
I have developed a reputation for being TreeHugger's 'hair' person, thanks to all the weird experiments I've done over the years, from ditching shampoo in favor of baking soda and apple cider vinegar to not washing with any cleanser for forty days.
As a result, I get a lot of questions about hair care, particularly from friends who read my posts and wonder how I do it. The most common complaint I hear is, "My hair is so greasy. I could never go that long without washing." Many women and men are preoccupied with this idea of greasiness and needing to fight it on a daily basis. I used to be in this situation myself.
I've come to believe that this is a real problem, and that our obsession with combatting greasy hair gets in the way of appreciating how much more manageable and healthy hair can be when it does have a bit of oil in it.
It is crucial to understand that the more you wash your hair, the greasier it will get. When shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils, the scalp compensates for that loss by producing more oil.1 It creates a cycle in which more washing leads to more oil, and so on. In order to break it, you must be willing to put up with levels of oiliness that may not feel acceptable at first, but eventually an equilibrium will be established.
I give the following advice when people ask me about how to improve their hair care routines.
Accept the Oil
Hair is not meant to feel dry and freshly washed all the time; and even if that's what you're used to, you'll learn to appreciate the feeling of slightly oily hair that's smooth, easy to style, frizz-free, and shiny.
Slowly Reduce the Number of Washes
Use Less Cleanser
If you're a shampoo user, use less so that your hair doesn't get quite so clean. Avoid the unnecessary repeat wash. If you use baking soda and apple cider vinegar, use less. (I started using 2 tbsp of each per wash, but now I'm down to 1 tbsp when I do it. See quantities here.) Do a water-only rinse if you're sweaty after a workout.
Massage and Brush
Give yourself a vigorous scalp massage with your fingertips to move the oil away from the scalp and distribute down the hair shaft. Do this once or twice daily. Use a hairbrush to do the same. But for the rest of the time, see the next point...
This won't happen overnight. If you wash daily, try to push it by 12 hours, then skip a day. Avoid washing on weekends if you don't have plans.
Avoid Touching Your Hair
There's oil on your fingers that will make hair limp and lackluster, the more you touch it. Try to keep your hands off your hair unless you're styling or massaging.
Use a Natural Dry Shampoo to Stretch the Time Between Washes
Here are some recipes for DIY dry shampoo, with cornstarch or rice flour bases. Store-bought dry shampoo spray isn't great; it creates buildup on hair that needs to be washed out soon.
Learn the Hairstyles That Work
The trick to managing greasiness, I've discovered, is about figuring out how to wear your hair in ways that work. Take advantage of braids, ponytails, buns, headbands, and hairpins to feel presentable and to stretch the time between washes. I find that straightening my hair a day or two after washing helps it go much longer.
Think of Washing as Something You Do Only When You Need It, Not Because It's Time
You probably have a hair-washing schedule; but rather than washing it automatically just because that time has come, reassess your hair and see if it can go further. You might be surprised. I now push my washes from 6 to 10 days -- and the difference in the amount of greasiness from day 6 to day 10 is minimal.
Don't Give up
Reducing the frequency of hair-washing will save you loads of time and money. It will result in healthier, stronger, more manageable hair. Go gradually and steadily. It might take two or three months, and you may feel discouraged along the way, but realize that anyone can do this.
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The sun will bleach your hair, but you probably shouldn’t let it
Months spent on a sunny beach will probably lighten your hair, but it will damage it. Which is why you need to keep that hat on!
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BACK in the ’80s and ’90s, many Aussie girls forked out their hard-earned cash on a bottle of SunIn, soaked their hair, then lay out in the sun, hoping for lighter tresses.
But it turns out we probably didn’t need the extra help that spray provided. Spending all summer outdoors will lighten your hair even if you don’t put anything extra in it.
Trichologist Anthony Pearce says it’s all down to ultraviolet radiation. The colour pigment in our hair shafts is oxidised by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, that according to Pearce, is “the same chemical process as having the hair bleached”.
This might sound like welcome news for those who spend hundreds of dollars (and hundreds of hours in the hairdresser’s chair) attempting to lighten their hair. But be warned, “sun-kissed” hair isn’t exactly a good thing.
“The sun can ‘bleach’ hair blonde but in doing so degrades the hair as well,” Pearce, founder of Anthony Pearce Trichology, explains.
A lighter hair colour as a result of time spent in the sun equals a permanently weakened hair shaft. Hello split ends, dryness and a whole lot of irreversible damage.
The solution? For starters, wear a hat when you’re outdoors and opt for hair products that provide protection from ultraviolet radiation — they’re like sunscreen for your hair.
“I’m a big believer in protecting your hair against UV rays the same as we do for our skin. It is especially important for weak or colour-treated hair,” explains Lisa Farrall, hair expert for Fudge Professional.
“It is also important to think of your scalp, especially your part. I find the best trick is to use a high SPF lip balm on your scalp to avoid it burning, it’s easy to apply with no grease and it will stop you from having a flaky scalp.”
If you are looking to speed up the hair lightening process, there are some great options out there that don’t involve sun damage. For anyone who grew up in the late nineties or early noughties and abused hair lightening product Sun In like I did (I still shudder thinking about the Coke-coloured patches on my head), you’ll be pleased to know the technologies and formulas have improved dramatically.
The key? Three-time Australian Hairdresser of the Year and Co-Creative Director of ELEVEN Australia, Joey Scandizzo, recommends simply asking for subtle highlights.
“Most hairdressers understand what ‘sun-kissed’ hair is — a great way to describe it is to say you would like subtle variation through the front or the ends which are generally the places the sun hits,” explains Scandizzo. “Sun-kissed means you want to go only one or two shades lighter, nothing too drastic.”
If you’re religious about keeping your hair out of the sun but still find your hair has lightened by the time March rolls around, there are a couple of reasons for that.
“Salt water will also lighten hair in it’s dual effects with ultraviolet light. Salt water can add to hair damage as it can swell and dry hair shafts; making them more porous and prone to breakage,” explains Pearce.
Oh, and that chlorinated pool you’ve been swimming in? It’s not your hair’s friend either.
“As an alkaline, chlorine is potentially the most damaging to hair. Hair should be double shampooed immediately after swimming. Depending upon what chemicals are added to the pool water, Chlorine pools can gradually cause a green/blue discolouration to hair,” says Pearce.
from news.com.au
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How to protect your hair from chlorine naturally while swimming
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Swimming is a fun activity during summer. Who does not like to play with the cool water to beat the effect of the scorching sun? But this fun comes with some challenges to your natural self. Your skin and mostly your hair tends to get damaged by the chemicals used in swimming pools. However, there are simple steps you can take to protect your hair and avoid the possible damages.
What does chlorine do to your hair?
Chlorine added in water pools is used for a variety of purposes. It is mostly used as an antibacterial agent to destroy bacteria and germs in the pool and keep the water safe for swimmers before it needs be replaced. Chlorine is composed of elements that make it unhealthy for hair. It makes the hair shaft dry, that in-turn, will make the hair strand coarse and fragile. Chlorine in the pool seizes the sebum from the hair, leading the hair strand to lose shine, undergo breakage, and also result in split ends.
How to get chlorine out of hair?
Here are some simple, easy to follow tricks that can help you protect your hair from damage by chlorine water:
1. Swim Outdoors
Swimming in an outdoor pool allow gases from the chlorinated water to escape into the air. This will leave less room for contamination of your hair and skin as well. These types of pools are also better for your eyes, nose, throat and lungs. If it’s needed to swim indoors, look for pools that are well-ventilated.
2. Shower before you swim
Wet hair tends to absorb less than dry hair. So taking a shower before you step into the pool decreases the possibility of your hair from absorbing the water molecules from the pool. Same case works for your skin as well. This is the scientific reason behind the necessity to take shower before you enter the pool.
3. Use oil and hair conditioner
Oiling or applying hair conditioner to hair prior to swimming is highly suggested by hair experts. This creates a protective layer between your hair follicles and the chlorinated water in the pool. It also nourishes the hair strands and make them smooth and shiny. However, be sure to use a swim cap if you’re using oil, else the oil is likely to attract sun damage.
4. Wear latex or swim caps
If you tuck your hair entirely into a swim cap and then jump into the swimming pool, you can safeguard your hair against any kind of damage from chemicals present in the pool. The cap will keep your hair dry. It is one smart way to maintain the health of your hair and avoid it from any possible harms.
5. Wash after you swim
A mild and sulfate-free shampoo after swim can help you get rid of all those chemicals hanging around the surface. Be mindful to give your hair a good soak in fresh water as a quick wash can result some chlorine molecules left in the hair follicles.
6. Comb your hair
Using a wide-toothed comb helps avoid frizzy hair and is an easy and effective way to keep your hair tangle-free. It relaxes the mess and also reduces the hair breakage. Avoid using a hair brush immediately after your swimming routine. A wide tooth comb detangles your hair without added stress and possible deterioration.
You can also follow these home remedies to safeguard your hair from possible chlorine threats.
7. Olive Oil Massage
Olive oil makes an effective hair coating that protects the hair from many type of damages – including effects of chlorine. The oil strengthens the sebum content produced by the scalp, therefore enhancing the hair follicles. Olive oil nourishes both the hair and the scalp and makes it naturally beautiful. Coconut oil can be a great alternative. Coconut oil helps to lock in moisture and strengthen the hair shaft.
8. Apple Cider Wash
Apple cider vinegar can be used as a clarifying rinse after every swim session. Using ACV will help get off all those chemicals attached to your hair strands and associated threats. The positive aspect of using this natural remedy for after-swim effects on hair is that it helps get rid of chlorine along with other damaging elements found in pools like copper, salt, and other impurities.
9. Treatment with Tomato puree
Tomatoes are one such nourishing agents that prevent the loss of moisture due to exposure to chlorinated water in the swimming pool. It also greatly reduces the harm that is caused by chlorine to your hair. You can cut some tomatoes and grind them to get a thick consistent puree. Then apply this paste on your clean hair and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before shampoo.
10. Baking Soda cure
Baking soda is another effective home cure for tackling frizzy hair problem due to chlorine water. It cuts out chlorine and other chemicals muddled in the hair follicles. It clears your scalp and makes your hair clean by removing any unnecessary build-up. Add water to some baking soda to make a consistent paste. Apply this paste to your hair and scalp and let it sit for 20 to 30 seconds. Then wash it off with plain water and regular shampoo.
Despite being an antibacterial agent, chlorine is a not a recommended element for your hair. It can cause hair discoloration, brittle and frizzy hair, loss of luster and volume along with dry and itchy scalp. So, if you really want to avoid the resulting consequences with even a single dip in chlorinated water, follow these easy and reliable tips and don’t forget to share your experience.
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What is Coarse Hair
and 7 Tips to Style It the Right Way
Our hair texture, density and thickness vary just like our facial features and body shapes do. Although coarse hair is often described as “difficult” and “challenging”, the main issue is knowing how to look after this kind of hair structure.
Indeed, styling coarse hair requires some effort – from detangling the knots to the potentially longer drying process. While this can sound like a lot to handle, these struggles aren’t harder than styling fine and flat hair; it’s all about learning some tricks and embracing the unique features of your hair.
What is Coarse Hair?
Coarse and thick hair are often used interchangeably. However, hair thickness is defined by the number of the strands, their density, while coarse hair is hair with a bigger diameter of each individual strand. You can easily check if you have coarse hair by taking a bunch of hair and rubbing it between your fingers: if you can define separate strands and they feel and look like threads, you have coarse hair.
The main downside is that this hair structure is more prone to dryness; consequently, it can easily become knotty, wiry, and uncontrollable. On the positive side, coarse hair is very good at holding styles and volume and it doesn’t require too frequent washing. Hence, using good quality hydrating and restoring products, you can easily make coarse hair your best friend.
Both straight and curly hair can be coarse and fine, as well as thin and thick. On the hair type chart, 1C, 2C, 3C and 4C types are often on the coarse side. While coarse hair structure is mainly determined by genetics, hair often becomes coarser when graying.
7 Tips for Coarse Hair Treatment
Here are 7 tips and tricks that will help you cater to the unique needs of your hair structure. Amend your routine, learn to deal with the challenges, and your hair is sure to be your source of pride and confidence.
#1: Start with the Haircare Products for Coarse Hair
A healthy hair care routine is the ultimate base needed for good-looking locks, and for coarse hair the key point is moisturizing. The best hair products for coarse hair are those without parabens, sulphates, and other drying ingredients.
While you might not be ready to switch to completely natural hair products, try using weekly coconut oil masks – it will noticeably soften and smooth your hair. Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask and the whole moisture retention collection is also a good choice for deep hydration of coarse hair. Even though finding products that are right for you can be a bit of a journey, it will soon pay back with healthy and lustrous tresses.
#2: Use the Right Brush
As mentioned before, coarse hair tends to tangle. For detangling, use a nylon paddle brush: firm and smooth bristles penetrate the strands and glide through the hair without causing any damage, while an air cushion protects and massages your scalp. Ideally, brush your hair when it’s semi-dry – it is not as fragile as soaking wet strands and not as knotty as they become when they dry out completely.
A ceramic round brush with longer nylon bristles is a great choice for blow-drying your hair – it retains heat, thus speeds up the process. For a smoother finish, always use cold air in the end.
#3: Straighten Hair with a Hairdryer Instead of a Flat Iron
It is certainly healthier to blow dry your hair rather than use straighteners or other hot tools. Follow these easy steps to achieve a sleek, salon-worthy blow out:
- Use some heat protection spray or leave-in conditioner and air dry your hair until it is 75% dry.
- Separate the lower nape area and put the rest of your hair in a top knot using a suitable size clip.
- Put the round brush under the strand and the nozzle of the hairdryer on top of the strand so that your hair is placed between the brush and the dryer and slowly move both hands down. Repeat until dry (normally twice or three times should be enough). If your hair is long, it might be easier to move it forward over your shoulder.
- Push the cool air button and run through the hair again to cool down the hair and achieve a smoother result.
- Separate the next section and carry on with the same process.
- Dry the front section forward or backwards, lifting the roots perpendicular to the scalp; let the parting fall naturally.
Even though these steps might require some perseverance at the beginning, blow-drying skill will save you some money on salon styling appointments. Most importantly, your hair will be healthy and silky.
#4: Choose the Right Temperature
While you are in process of advancing your blow-drying technique, straighteners are understandably a handy and quick option. Try to reduce the heat to 350F: it is quite likely that this temperature will be absolutely enough to straighten or curl your hair.
Important note: if you apply a heat protecting spray before curlers or straighteners, always make sure the product dries out before you use the hot tools. Applying heat on wet hair literally fries them, which causes immense damage.
#5: Pick the Best Hair Styling Products for Coarse Hair
Think smoothing creams and shine sprays to get a sleek, polished, and frizz-free look. If you like reading ingredients as much as we do, bear in mind that ideally, silicones shouldn’t be listed as the first three in the list on the bottle. Although silicones create a protective layer around hair shafts, this ingredient can also create buildup which causes hair breakage and a dull look.
Briogeo Farewell Frizz silicon-free leave-in conditioner would be a great option that smoothes hair, boosts shine, and eases detangling. Unfortunately, sea salt sprays aren’t made for you – those are making hair rougher and drier – certainly, not the outcome that you are looking for.
#6: Choose the Haircut That Works for Coarse Hair
A graduated bob or long layers are the best options for coarse hair. These shapes won’t look bulky on thicker hair and will show off the beauty of coarse hair: it’s natural volume.
#7: Love Your Coarse Hair
Embrace your natural hair texture and appreciate its advantages like full-body, ability to hold curls and any other styles.
We hope these pieces of advice were useful and you will implement some of them in your day-to-day hair care routine to achieve the best styling results for your coarse hair.
From The Right Hairstyles
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It’s True: Stress Does Turn Hair Gray
(And It’s Reversible)
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Legend has it that Marie Antoinette’s hair turned gray overnight just before her beheading in 1791.
Though the legend is inaccurate—hair that has already grown out of the follicle does not change color—a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is the first to offer quantitative evidence linking psychological stress to graying hair in people.
And while it may seem intuitive that stress can accelerate graying, the researchers were surprised to discover that hair color can be restored when stress is eliminated, a finding that contrasts with a recent study in mice that suggested that stressed-induced gray hairs are permanent.
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The study, published June 22 in eLife, has broader significance than confirming age-old speculation about the effects of stress on hair color, says the study’s senior author Martin Picard, PhD(link is external and opens in a new window), associate professor of behavioral medicine (in psychiatry and neurology) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“Understanding the mechanisms that allow ‘old’ gray hairs to return to their ‘young’ pigmented states could yield new clues about the malleability of human aging in general and how it is influenced by stress,” Picard says.
“Our data add to a growing body of evidence demonstrating that human aging is not a linear, fixed biological process but may, at least in part, be halted or even temporarily reversed.”
Studying hair as an avenue to investigate aging
“Just as the rings in a tree trunk hold information about past decades in the life of a tree, our hair contains information about our biological history,” Picard says. “When hairs are still under the skin as follicles, they are subject to the influence of stress hormones and other things happening in our mind and body. Once hairs grow out of the scalp, they harden and permanently crystallize these exposures into a stable form.”
Though people have long believed that psychological stress can accelerate gray hair, scientists have debated the connection due to the lack of sensitive methods that can precisely correlate times of stress with hair pigmentation at a single-follicle level.
Splitting hairs to document hair pigmentation
Ayelet Rosenberg, first author on the study and a student in Picard’s laboratory, developed a new method for capturing highly detailed images of tiny slices of human hairs to quantify the extent of pigment loss (graying) in each of those slices. Each slice, about 1/20th of a millimeter wide, represents about an hour of hair growth.
Hair pigmentation patterns of 100 hairs from a male and female study participant. Darker hair colors represented in red; lighter in blue. Image from Rosenberg et al. (2021).
“If you use your eyes to look at a hair, it will seem like it’s the same color throughout unless there is a major transition,” Picard says. “Under a high-resolution scanner, you see small, subtle variations in color, and that’s what we’re measuring.”
The researchers analyzed individual hairs from 14 volunteers. The results were compared with each volunteer’s stress diary, in which individuals were asked to review their calendars and rate each week’s level of stress.
The investigators immediately noticed that some gray hairs naturally regain their original color, which had never been quantitatively documented, Picard says.
When hairs were aligned with stress diaries by Shannon Rausser, second author on the paper and a student in Picard’s laboratory, striking associations between stress and hair graying were revealed and, in some cases, a reversal of graying with the lifting of stress.
“There was one individual who went on vacation, and five hairs on that person’s head reverted back to dark during the vacation, synchronized in time,” Picard says.
Blame the mind-mitochondria connection
To better understand how stress causes gray hair, the researchers also measured levels of thousands of proteins in the hairs and how protein levels changed over the length of each hair.
Changes in 300 proteins occurred when hair color changed, and the researchers developed a mathematical model that suggests stress-induced changes in mitochondria may explain how stress turns hair gray.
“We often hear that the mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, but that’s not the only role they play,” Picard says. “Mitochondria are actually like little antennas inside the cell that respond to a number of different signals, including psychological stress.”
The mitochondria connection between stress and hair color differs from that discovered in a recent study of mice, which found that stress-induced graying was caused by an irreversible loss of stem cells in the hair follicle.
“Our data show that graying is reversible in people, which implicates a different mechanism,” says co-author Ralf Paus, PhD, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Mice have very different hair follicle biology, and this may be an instance where findings in mice don’t translate well to people.”
Hair re-pigmentation only possible for some
Reducing stress in your life is a good goal, but it won’t necessarily turn your hair to a normal color.
“Based on our mathematical modeling, we think hair needs to reach a threshold before it turns gray,” Picard says. “In middle age, when the hair is near that threshold because of biological age and other factors, stress will push it over the threshold and it transitions to gray.
“But we don’t think that reducing stress in a 70-year-old who’s been gray for years will darken their hair or increasing stress in a 10-year-old will be enough to tip their hair over the gray threshold.”
More information
The study is titled “Quantitative Mapping of Human Hair Greying and Reversal in Relation to Life Stress(link is external and opens in a new window).”
All contributors (all from Columbia unless noted): Ayelet Rosenberg, Shannon Rausser, Junting Ren, Eugene V. Mosharov, Gabriel Sturm, R. Todd Ogden, Purvi Patel, Rajesh Kumar Soni, Clay Lacefield (New York State Psychiatric Institute), Desmond J. Tobin (University College Dublin), Ralf Paus (University of Miami, University of Manchester, UK, and Monasterium Laboratory, Münster, Germany), and Martin Picard.
The research was funded by grants from the Wharton Fund and the National Institutes of Health (grants GM119793, MH119336, and AG066828).
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Convenient Online Booking
24 x 7
Book Now
For the time being,
online booking is available Sunday thru Wednesday.
Thursday, Friday or Saturday if you're having an extreme hair emergency.
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Episodes:
What caught my attention
this month
Is there really anything else going on right now?
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This section is for the "Follically Challenged". There are so many conversations and articles on the topic and I want make sure you are getting good information.
This month's article
How chronic stress leads to hair loss
Harvard study IDs mechanism that regenerates hair follicle stem cells
Harvard University researchers have identified the biological mechanism by which chronic stress impairs hair follicle stem cells, confirming long-standing observations that stress might lead to hair loss.
In a mouse study published in the journal Nature, the researchers found that a major stress hormone puts hair follicle stem cells into an extended resting phase, without regenerating the follicle or the hair. The researchers identified the specific cell type and molecule responsible for relaying the stress signal to the stem cells, and showed that this pathway can be potentially targeted to restore hair growth.
“My lab is interested in understanding how stress affects stem cell biology and tissue biology, spurred in part by the fact that everyone has a story to share about what happens to their skin and hair when they are stressed. I realized that as a skin stem cell biologist, I could not provide a satisfying answer regarding if stress indeed has an impact — and more importantly, if yes, what are the mechanisms,” said Ya-Chieh Hsu, the Alvin and Esta Star Associate Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard and senior author of the study. “The skin offers a tractable and accessible system to study this important problem in depth, and in this work, we found that stress does actually delay stem-cell activation and fundamentally changes how frequently hair follicle stem cells regenerate tissues.”
The hair follicle is one of the few mammalian tissues that can undergo rounds of regeneration throughout life, and has become a paradigm that informs much of our fundamental understanding of mammalian stem cell biology. The hair follicle naturally cycles between growth and rest, a process fueled by hair follicle stem cells. During the growth phase, hair follicle stem cells become activated to regenerate the follicle and hair, and hairs grow longer each day. During the resting phase, the stem cells are quiescent and hairs shed more easily. Hair loss can occur if the hairs shed and the stem cells remain quiescent without regenerating new tissue.
Underneath the mouse hair follicle, dermal papilla cells (green) produce the Gas6 molecule that activates hair follicle stem cells. Credit: Hsu Laboratory, Harvard University
The researchers studied a mouse model of chronic stress and found that hair follicle stem cells stayed in a resting phase for a very long time without regenerating tissues. A major stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, corticosterone, was upregulated by chronic stress; giving mice corticosterone reproduced the stress effect on the stem cells. The equivalent hormone in humans is cortisol, which is also upregulated under stress and is often referred to as the “stress hormone.”
“This result suggests that elevated stress hormones indeed have a negative effect on hair follicle stem cells,” Hsu said. “But the real surprise came when we took out the source of the stress hormones.”
Under normal conditions, hair follicle regeneration slows over time — the resting phase becomes longer as the animals age. But when the researchers removed the stress hormones, the stem cells’ resting phase became extremely short and the mice constantly entered the growth phase to regenerate hair follicles throughout their life, even when they were old.
“So even the baseline level of stress hormone that’s normally circulating in the body is an important regulator of the resting phase. Stress essentially just elevates this preexisting ‘adrenal gland–hair follicle axis,’ making it even more difficult for hair follicle stem cells to enter the growth phase to regenerate new hair follicles,” Hsu said.
After establishing the link between the stress hormone and hair follicle stem cell activity, the researchers looked for the biological mechanism underlying the connection.
“We first asked whether the stress hormone was regulating the stem cells directly and checked by taking out the receptor for corticosterone, but this turned out to be wrong. Instead, we found that the stress hormone actually acts on a cluster of dermal cells underneath the hair follicle, known as the dermal papilla,” said Sekyu Choi, the lead author of the study.
Dermal papilla is known to be critical for activating hair follicle stem cells, but none of the previously identified factors secreted from dermal papilla changed when stress hormone levels were altered. Rather, the stress hormone prevented dermal papilla cells from secreting Gas6, a molecule that the researchers showed can activate the hair follicle stem cells.
“Under both normal and stress conditions, adding Gas6 was sufficient to activate hair follicle stem cells that were in the resting phase and to promote hair growth,” Choi said. “In the future, the Gas6 pathway could be exploited for its potential in activating stem cells to promote hair growth. It will also be very interesting to explore if other stress-related tissue changes are related to the stress hormone’s impact on regulating Gas6.”
These initial findings in mice need to be further studied before they can be safely applied to humans. Harvard’s Office of Technology Development has protected the intellectual property relating to this work and is exploring opportunities for collaboration on its further development and eventual commercialization.
Last year, Hsu’s group discovered how stress affects another type of stem cell in the hair follicle: the melanocyte stem cells that regenerate hair pigment. The researchers found that stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and depletes melanocyte stem cells, leading to premature hair graying. With the new study, the two findings together demonstrate that although stress has detrimental impacts on both hair follicle stem cells and melanocyte stem cells, the mechanisms are different. Stress depletes melanocyte stem cells directly via nerve-derived signals, while stress prevents hair follicle stem cells from making new hairs indirectly via an adrenal-gland-derived stress hormone’s impact on the niche. Because hair follicle stem cells are not depleted, it might be possible to reactivate stem cells under stress with mechanisms such as the Gas6 pathway.
Beyond the potential application of the Gas6 pathway in promoting hair growth, the study’s results have broader implications for stem cell biology.
“When looking for factors that control stem cell behaviors, normally we would look locally in the skin. While there are important local factors, our findings suggest that the major switch for hair follicle stem cell activity is actually far away in the adrenal gland and it works by changing the threshold required for stem cell activation,” Hsu said.
“You can have systemic control of stem cell behavior located in a different organ that plays a really important role, and we are learning more and more examples of these ‘cross-organ interactions.’ Tissue biology is interconnected with body physiology. We still have so much to learn in this area, but we are constantly reminded by our findings that in order to understand stem cells in the skin, we often need to think beyond the skin.”
This work was supported in part by the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award, Pew Charitable Trusts, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard HMS Dean’s Award, American Cancer Society, James and Audrey Foster MGH Research Scholar Award, NARSAD Young Investigator Award, MGH ECOR Fund, New York State Department of Health, and the National Institutes of Health.
From The Harvard Gazette
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For those of you following the DevaCurl fiasco:
A $5.2 million settlement has been reached and looks to put an end to 13 class action lawsuits filed over the harm caused by certain DevaCurl products.
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Curly girls suffered a huge loss. But we always bounce back.
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.
If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
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Almost a year ago today, I suffered one of the greatest betrayals of my life.
OK, that's dramatic. But it's hard to overstate the magnitude of shook the curly hair community was back in January 2020.
It all started when influencer Ayesha Malik posted a tearful and scathing video warning her roughly 250,000 followers to stop using the beloved, longstanding golden standard of curly hair products: DevaCurl. Her brunette corkscrews as frazzled as her emotions, Malik explained how she went from proud brand ambassador to boycott leader: Over the course of a year, she started noticing inexplicable damage to her prized, perfectly preserved locks, her thick mane not only thinning but changing texture in a way usually induced only by chemical relaxers.
She was far from the only one.
Malik's video opened the flood gates. Other influencers and even DevaCurl stylists came forward, culminating in a Facebook support group of 60,000 echoing similar experiences that led to a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit names some of the most popular products, including their entire shampoo cleanser and conditioner line, leave-ins, styling gels, and repair treatments. Influencers who hadn't experienced these negative effects weighed in, too, most with support and belief in the allegations but others to challenge the accusations.
Watching this chaos unfold, it felt like the ground fell from beneath me as I realized DevaCurl — the products I once heralded as the divine savior of my hair and beauty — might be the culprit for the damage I'd been literally losing hair over. After years of happily spending thousands of dollars on DevaCurl products and services, I threw away gallons of the stuff in the trash, doubtful that I could ever trust again.
Straight-haired readers might eye-roll at the idea of mourning a brand like this. But fellow curly-haired sisters know the struggle and sacred journey of learning how to care for, embrace, and hopefully even love your curls. It comes only after years of trauma.
While curly hair stigma is pretty universal, as a white Latina myself I've had the privilege of not being subjected to the worst of it. For Black girls and women especially, natural afro-textured curls are politicized, discriminated against, and almost completely excluded from mainstream beauty standards, media representation of all kinds, and literal curly hair ad campaigns. From Mia in the Princess Diaries to country music-era Taylor Swift (whose curls allegedly miraculously straightened due to natural causes right as she became more mainstream pop), at an early age we're fed the clear message that curls are something to be fixed, eradicated, straightened out.
The insecurities of growing up with curly hair are so real that Dove saw a business opportunity in exploiting them in the way they did body image insecurities. Despite knowing it's all bogus (no one recommends actually using Dove curl products), I still cry every time I watch this old commercial.
For curly women and girls, your hair is the first thing people notice about you. For better or for worse, curls become inextricably tied to your identity. Whether that identification takes the form of self-loathing or defiant pride all depends on finding the right products and styling techniques.
The DevaCurl cult-following went beyond products, too, with a whole oeuvre of essentials like the famed Curly Girl Method and pricey Devachan salons with special Devacuts and Pintura highlights. Despite the high cost, it always felt worth it, an investment into the best ingredients that nurture your curls that need to recover from years of trying every damaging fix under the sun.
Seeing the company's fall from grace felt like a loss of identity. The products once responsible for making me feel beautiful for the first time ever as a young girl were now potentially ruining the locks I'd worked so hard to love.
To be clear, nothing has been proven. In a statement to its "devoted Deva community," in February, the company said it was, "committed to providing the information you need to continue to use DevaCurl with confidence." Pointing to the "rigorous and thorough testing" all their products undergo, it promised to work with "an independent third-party toxicologist to verify the safety of these formulas." (Though expert doctors in this New York Times article question many of the facts DevaCurl presents on its website to refute allegations.)
It's been pretty much crickets ever since, but the damage was already done. The lawsuit is ongoing with no trial date set, but both sides have asked to make their case before a jury, according to court documents.
My trusted longtime hairdressers at CurlsOneonOne (owned by two incredible ladies I met at the now-closed Los Angeles Devachan) are dubious that DevaCurl is to blame for my case. To be fair, I'd been pretty aggressively bleaching my hair Khaleesi-silver since 2014.
But when my colorist cut me off in 2019, my curls didn't bounce back like usual during bleaching breaks. The alarming amount of hair fall continued, along with scalp dryness and curl pattern loss after six months of nothing but Olaplex for color damage and deep conditioner treatments.
However, discontinuing all DevaCurl use led to immediate improvement. More damning still, months post-DevaCurl, I had a curl-mergency and only access to the travel-size Ultra Defining Gel (a product listed in the lawsuit) that I kept in my purse. Even a small amount caused that now-familiar burning sensation and unusual shedding during my next shower
Listen, I can't say whether DevaCurl is the cause. But breaking from my religious devotion to the brand opened up new paths of discovery that only made me understand, embrace, and appreciate my curls more. But the process of finding new products and a new regimen was harrowing — and expensive. It takes lots of trial and error.
In August, Malik made her first video since that explosive one in January, her curls miraculously unchopped and more fortified. She says she worked day and night to recover from the Deva damage, and still has a long way to go. But from where I'm standing, it's the hope every suffering curly girl needs to know they can bounce back from this.
Though I don't claim to be an expert, after dozens upon dozens of products and hours of research, though, I've picked up a thing or two. So here's my guide to replacing DevaCurl. Everyone's curls are unique, so not everything will work for you. But maybe we can learn from each other while on our individual journeys to curl perfection. [Editor's Note: While the writer independently purchased almost everything listed here, BounceCurl did provide samples for review].
1. Find your curly hair gurus.
Like everything in the influencer economy, curly hair YouTubers get sponsorships and make money the more you spend on products they recommend, which incentivizes lots of bullshit.
But the best beauty bloggers know the value of their honest opinion is worth more than a #sponcon payday. Trust the ones who are transparent about their relationship to brands and that include unmonetized content and affordable options.
That's why I personally love Bianca Renee. Aside from sharing the same hairstylists, she's never led me astray on general consumer knowledge. She's great for learning how to be a smart shopper, figuring out what's right for you, which products you really need, the no-no ingredients, exploring options, and testing brands for that curly girl seal of approval.
For styling routines and tricks, seek out curl gurus with similar hair textures and concerns.
Fellow 3B-C girls should check Manes by Mell. She has a wealth of tutorials, with videos for every type of situation like changing seasons, sleep-to-wash-to-style-to-refresh regimens, correct product application, essential accessories, mistakes to avoid, budget picks, and technique pros and cons. She was anti-Curly Girl Method before it was cool so I trust her as a zero-bullshit stylist (and notably one of the most vocal influencers denying Devacurl damage).
2. Throw out all those strict rules and experiment instead.
Treat all curl advice and rules from tried-and-true methods with skepticism, including mine. None of us really know anything except what's worked for us. Feel free to deviate and, above all, question assumptions and one-size-fits-all truisms.
In my many years of Curly Girl Method devotion, I was told sudsy shampoos and brushes were sacrilege. But failing to cleanse my roots likely contributed to product build-up that caused scalp issues, hair loss, and stunted growth. Meanwhile, exclusively finger brushing led to uneven product distribution.
I religiously stuck to wash-and-go air drying to avoid heat damage, with no patience for diffusing. But like a curly hair newbie hopping on the latest TikTok trend, I tried plopping for the first time. To my amazement, it cut my dry time in half and created amazing from-the-root volume with zero extra effort.
See your journey as a literal experiment: Make hypotheses, test them, add and subtract variables, and through deductive reasoning learn what leads to more consistent great hair days.
3. You do NOT have to spend a lot of money for great products.
One of the good disillusionments from this DevaCurl fiasco was realizing some of the best, healthiest products for curly hair are affordable drugstore picks.
SheaMoisture and Cantu, for example, are always in the $5-$10 range. Cheap, trusted classics help keep your routine affordable, especially when it comes to shampoo and conditioners which wash out of your hair rather than staying on it for days like a styling product.
Save your money for treatments or fun stuff like Curlsmith's temporary color hair makeup (which worked great on me for Halloween). By saving on products you can also likely budget for great curl specialists and stylists, too, which I still recommend paying top dollar for rather than going to the nearest SuperCuts.
4. Don't underestimate the importance of the right accessory.
The above rule still applies here, but don't blow your budget on products alone.
The three brushes I now can't live without for wash days include:
Also great for your arsenal:
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An ultra-fine microfiber towel (or 100% cotton t-shirt) for plopping
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If you like diffusers, research good budget options. No need to drop hundreds on that Dyson monstrosity.
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A misting spray bottle for refreshing curls
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A sleeping cap or turban made of gentle fabrics like microfiber or silk so your curls last longer between wash days
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Better yet, invest in silk pillowcases, which are expensive but did wonders for both my curls and skin
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If you live somewhere with terrible water quality like me, get a shower water filter! Do research into affordable picks targeting the specific chemicals used by your county that hinder all your haircare and skincare efforts.
5. OK, here's my new routine and DevaCurl product replacement recommendations.
While these are what I like personally, it is not a definitive guide. Others have crowdsourced a publicly edit-able list of alternatives for each product, but note that there's zero vetting involved.
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Shampoo and conditioner: I replaced the no-poo co-wash DevaCurl cleansers (all listed in the lawsuit) with actual shampoo that removes product without stripping my natural oils, using it at least 2-3 times a week. Shampoo should only be applied to your scalp — leave your ends alone. People rave about expensive brands like Innersense and Verb, but I stick with this SheaMoisture shampoo and Cantu conditioner. (Check out SheaMoisture's curl type chart for personalized recommendations). If luxury is what you want, Curlsmith's Vivid Tones Vibrancy Shampoo protects my highlights while BounceCurl's Super Smooth Cream Conditioner makes my hair feel like butter.
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Curl primer and leave-ins: Similar to how I'm not sure makeup primers do anything, I'm not convinced this needs to be a two-step process. But the important thing here is hydration and nourishment. While still in the shower I flip my soaking wet hair upside-down, raking a small amount of primer or light leave-in that I alternate depending on what my curls need. When they're fragile from coloring, a pinch of Hot Tresses Rehab Leave-In. For hydration, Be My Curl's Mane Squeeze (stylist recommended) or BounceCurl's Moisture Balance Leave-In. For my main leave-in, nothing beats Curlsmith's Curl Conditioning Oil-In-Cream, which woke me up to oil as essential to curly routines. Thicker curl types will probably love BounceCurls' Clump & Define Cream with the Denman brush, but it weighs my curls down a bit.
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Styling gel: For me, this step is about sealing with a "cast" of gel that combats frizz and creates strong hold so my curls last three days. Technique is just as important as product here. The reigning champion replacement for my beloved Ultra Defining and Arc Angel DevaCurl gels (again, both listed in the lawsuits) is Dippity-Do Girls with Curls Gelee, applied with the praying hands technique and then scrunched up to my roots. Some popular alternatives like Ouidad's Heat & Humidity Control gave me that same burning sensation DevaCurl did. I can't rely on Be My Curls' To Have & To Hold gel alone, but do love how it hydrates while styling. Though it wasn't right for me, those with wavier, less frizz-prone hair should look into Bounce's Light Hold Creme Gel for touchable, lightweight results. An important lesson I learned for each of the above steps is to avoid putting much of any product directly on your roots (unless it's a treatment or shampoo). I focus almost exclusively on my ends, then rely on the plopping method to bunch all my hair on the top of my head so product trickles down a bit.
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Refreshing method: A key to great styling products that last between wash days is ones that list water or "aqua" as one of the first ingredients. That means when you re-wet your hair with a spray bottle, the product re-activates, so you don't need to add much more and avoid build-up.
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Treatments: Since I highlight my hair, Olaplex every other week is essential. But everyone can benefit from the occasional deep condition treatment, and thirsty curls will love SheaMoisture's Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Masque or more luxury-priced BounceCurls' Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner. Those jonesing for DevaCurl's Heaven in Hair (which, you guessed it, is also referenced in the lawsuit) should try the nearly identical Be My Curl's Seal the Deal. BounceCurls' Hair Detox is great for those with build-up and scalp issues (akin to a DIY apple cider vinegar treatment) but use it veryy sparingly. Don't leave any of these on longer than instructed.
The moral of this story, though, is that finding your personally-tailored curl routine will never be a paint by numbers experience. Just trust your gut, and be confident that you're the best expert on your hair.
From Mashable
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Hair by Brian's Recommendation
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All products featured are independently selected by Hair by Brian. However, when you buy something through these retail links, I may earn an affiliate commission.
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Hairstory: New Wash
You can buy this directly from me online. You will receive 20% off your first purchase as well as free shipping when they use this direct link. All you have to do is click on this link, create a customer account, and their system will automatically discount you RIGHT before check checkout - no coupon or referral code necessary! Product Info
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About this item
- Scalp Massager for All Hair Types -- Deal with curly, straight, thick, thin, dry hair or oily hair at ease. Scalp scrubber brush is perfect for you and your family.
- Building a Healthy Scalp --Fixing the hair problem(oil, dirty, itchy) with a simple scalp massager and gently brush with shampoo.
- Dual-use Scalp Brush: remove excess oil for deep cleaning when wet brushing, promote blood circulation, stress release&ease your mind with dry brushing.
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About this item
- BIOTIN HAIR GROWTH- Vitamins help promote healthy hair and boost shine!
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- LEADING THE WAY WITH HA - Hyalogic is an industry leader in high-quality Hyaluronic Acid skincare products with 50 unique products.
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30-Minute Mini Meatloaves
I'm a HUGE fan of meal prep. These mini-meatloaves are something I always have ready to defrost in the freezer. They are quick and easy.
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Slash the bake time of meatloaf when you make mini-loaves.
Meatloaf is now doable for weeknights!
Prep Time: 10 m
Cook Time: 18 to 20 m
Total Time: 30 m
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup Original Bisquick™ mix
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 1 egg
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Steps
- Heat oven to 450°F. In small bowl, stir ketchup and brown sugar until mixed; reserve 1/4 cup for topping. In large bowl, stir remaining ingredients and remaining ketchup mixture until well mixed.
- Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan; pat into 12x4-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise down center and then crosswise into sixths to form 12 loaves. Separate loaves, using spatula, so no edges are touching. Brush loaves with reserved 1/4 cup ketchup mixture.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until loaves are no longer pink in center and meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves reads 160°F.
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Blonde & blonder: How women in the ’70s got that sun-lightened hair look
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For blonde hair in the ’70s, lemon & sunshine recommended (1977)
Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, New Jersey) April 11, 1977
If you’re a natural blonde, you know you have special problems when it comes to keeping your hair bright and shiny. Now a New York hairstylist has a special tip for blondes who find it hard to keep the “sunshine” in their hair.
“Step one,” says Louis of Louis Guy-D, “is to wash the hair often with a gentle shampoo. Naturally blonde hair must be absolutely clean to be its brightest, and this may mean daily shampooing, for which baby shampoo is always recommended.
“Blondes can’t go very long between shampoos before dirt and oil turn their hair ‘mousey’ looking. Also, when blonde hair is dry, it can look like straw. Baby shampoo doesn’t strip the hair of all its natural conditioners, which helps blonde hair shimmer with natural highlights.”
Then, to continue the natural approach to bright, shiny blonde hair, Louis suggests a lemon or lime squeeze. “Simply take a lemon or lime and squeeze it onto freshly-washed hair, gently comb through and let dry, preferably in the sun, but a hairdryer will do on rainy days.”
Louis says the citrus juices act as a mild bleach and gently lighten the hair.
“Continue this treatment for a few days, and any natural blonde will see her hair lighten up, take on shiny highlights and glow just like sunshine,” promises Louis.
“By starting this natural highlighting treatment now,” says Louis, “blondes can have sun-lightened hair well before it’s time to slip into that first bikini.”
Speed up the sun with Sun-In (1970)
Get the true sun-lightened look fast! Just spray on Sun-In. Give your hair that sun-lightened look that once took all summer.
Sun In works with nice, warm, natural sunshine. Lightens faster than the sun. But never so fast as those harsh hair-lighteners. You’re in complete control — from that first little highlightening to as sun-lightened as you’d like to look.
And because Sun In conditions, use it often ’til you and your own special sun-lightened look discover each other. You’ll look like you spent all summer in the sun. Try regular or (for the maximum sun-lightened look) new Super Sun In. All you add is sun.
California Blonde:
The first lightener, toner & conditioner all in one. (1970)
Max Factor creates “Color-Controlled Blonding”… so even brownettes can go blonde in one lightening-quick step.
It’s sunshine you shampoo in. Now brownettes can go blonde and blondes can go blonder. The very first time. And in one lightening-quick step.
Only California Blonde gives you these shades, all softness and sunshine. Truly natural-looking blondes that last shampoo after shampoo.
And if you like the idea of hair that’s more manageable, healthier-looking, and nicer to touch, only California Blonde gives you the benefit of 12 conditioners in a proteined base.
You’ll see, no matter which coast you live on, life’s a lot sunnier when you’re a California Blonde. In 6 Glow West Shades.
New Tried & True California Blonde. Only by Max Factor.
Clairol’s Born Blonde (1969)
Years ago, there were only two types of blondes. Demure but mousey. And bright but brassy.
But, baby, things have changed. And today a blonde can be downright sexy and still be a lady. If she knows about Clairol’s Born Blonde.
Born Blonde isnt a timid blonde that promises everything and then doesn’t deliver. But it isn’t an old-fashioned formula with peroxide in both steps either. (It was those tough-as-brass bleached cuties that started the rumor that blondes were dumb.)
Born Blonde is different. Feels different. Acts different. First, you gently take the darkness out of your hair with Born Blonde lightener. Then you shampoo in Born Blonde toner in any of 12 shades. Extra rich (we put in lots of conditioners) and extra gentle (we leave out peroxide), Born Blonde toner makes your hair feel good while it makes it look good.
Of course, using Born Blonde isn’t sticking to the rules. But do you want to play fair? Or win?
When you go blonde, go all the way
Lemony fresh! Lemony fun! (1970)
Lemon Go Lightly – Gently lightens under the sun!
Brown, blonde or in between? You can go lighter with CLAIROL Lemon Go Lightly. It lightens your hair with a little help from the sun. Just spray it on, and go as light as you like… gently … gradually.
Rich CLAIROL conditioners help protect your hair’s natural texture. keep it soft and manageable as it lightens. P.S. If you’re a darker brownette, or a blonde in a hurry, get CLAIROL Lemon Go Lightly Plus.
Hair. If it’s timid it’s not today (1970)
Remember grade school and that little blonde with the long braids? The one all the boys adored?
Well, boys still adore girls with blonde braids. But a fat lot of good that does you if your hair is washed-out blah mousey brown or dull and dark.
And if you think summer and the sun and a timid formula is enough to make you really blonde, you’re just fooling yourself. What you need is Clairol’s Born Blonde.
Lemon Go Lightly (1971)
Has your hair gone into hibernation?
Brown, blonde or in between? You can go lighter with CLAIROL Lemon Go Lightly. It lightens your hair with a little help from the sun. Just spray it on, and go as light as you like… gently … gradually.
Rich CLAIROL. conditioners help protect your hair’s natural texture. keep it soft and manageable as it lightens. P.S. If you’re a darker brownette, or a blonde in a hurry, get CLAIROL Lemon Go Lightly Plus.
from Click Americana: vintage and retro memories
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READ YOUR LABELS:
DMDM hydantoin is listed by the FDA as one of the preservatives found to cause the most allergic reactions from the use of cosmetic products. It works as an antimicrobial agent and preservative in cosmetics and personal care products. It's also a “formaldehyde donor.” That means it releases a small amount of formaldehyde over time to help keep products fresh and free from contaminants. The FDA requires certain products to contain an ingredient declaration, but some ingredients may not be specifically identified and instead listed as “fragrance” or “perfume.”
Here are several class action lawsuits against personal care companies using DMDM Hydantoin.
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“Great haircut,
where did you get it done?”
Book your next appointment with me at
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Invest in yourself.
Trust in me.
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Real quick, I wanted to tell you that I greatly appreciate you as my salon guest.
The competition in my area is fierce, and my business could greatly benefit from the support of my satisfied guests, like you.
With much gratitude, I’m asking if you could please take just a few minutes and jot down something positive about my my service and/or professionalism on Yelp.
Here’s the quick link to Yelp!
Thank you so much. I appreciate you!
- Brian ✂️
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