While I may be not a natural-born kulot, I care for my salon-treated curls as if they are legitimately curly from roots to tips.
I have my hair curly for no more than two months, but I can personally attest that caring for curly hair takes more time than straight hair. Not only that it requires more products but it demands specific products that have or do not have certain ingredients that may affect the look, style, and quality of hair strands.
Reading about and checking out how-to and DIY videos of how real kulot girls manage and style their hair gave me an idea on how to care for mine. Hey, there’s no harm in following after the legit curly girls — if it works, good for me; if it does not, then I must try something else.
Do’s
1. DO buy shampoos and conditioners that do not contain sulfate and silicone. It is important that your cleaning and conditioning hair products are free from silicone and sulfate. Why? These ingredients cause curls to appear dry or frizzy and remove the necessary oils that the hair needs. Invest in deep conditioning products as curly hair demands more of these.
2. DO have styling mousse or hair lotion ready. A styling mousse or hair lotion helps define the twirls of the curls. Not only it makes your curls well-shaped, but it also helps the curls grouped, and not looking too messy in separate strands.
3. DO give your hair time to absorb moisture, better use a t-shirt, silk cloth or microfibre cloth to dry your hair. These type of fabrics keeps moisture in the curls– which is very important — while removing excess water. It is also suggested that you sleep on silk pillow covers as it helps maintain the curls.
4. DO invest on hair diffuser and quality big-toothed comb. Curly girls can use hair dryers and comb their curls, however, they need specific tools to keep their curls top notch beautiful. Diffusers are suggested to spread the air evenly without overdrying one part of your hair, causing the hair to frizz and some other parts making the curls unshaped. Big-toothed combs help untangle the curls, particularly on the tips.
Dont’s
1. DO NOT comb your hair when it’s almost dry or completely dry. Hair frizz is a curly girl’s enemy, so never comb or finger comb curly hair when it is near to dry or is already completely dry.
2. DO NOT blow dry or fan dry. Exposure to too much air results to, again, frizzy hair, which will make the curls uncurly, dry, rough and stiff. If a diffuser is not available, cover your hair with a microfiber cloth, t-shirt or silk cloth until it is no longer soaking wet. Style it as you prefer, and leave it to air dry.
3. DO NOT hurry to have your hair down after bath. Assuming that you have applied and wash it with shampoo and conditioner and finish with applying the curls with hair mousse or hair lotion, let the curls stay covered for at least 30-45 minutes to allow it to absorb moisture and have the strands absorb the mousse and help it curl while drying.
4. DO NOT get salon-treated, particularly having curly hair dyed too often. When the right salon products are not used for the right curly type, this might lead to curls damage. I was even advised to seek a salon specialist who knows how to work on natural and chemically treated curls so as not to damage or ruin my strands.
