Curl Nostalgia...

While recently thrifting for some new kitchen wares, I stumbled upon a copy of Modern Salon Styles from 1972.  It was seventy pages filled with all sorts of sprayed and meticulously coifed creations, which by the early 70s were on their way out.

On the back page was a feature titled "7 Steps to a more beautiful you!"  Among the pearls of wisdom was step 3:

"Perm, Baby, Perm!  Today's hair fashion world is a curly world.  To keep up with curl, a perm's the answer ... unless you're a too-curly girl ... then it's straightening for you.  Let your professional curl specialist show you the way to natural looking locks full of body and bounce."

Damned if you have, damned if you have not, indeed.

The wondrous irony of it all is the notion of using chemical alteration for "natural looking locks."  The sad realization, however, is how much of the professional styling world still sees hair as something to be controlled, lest it get out of hand and take over one's head.  ;)

Slowly but surely, I feel we're getting better at this.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear the follow-up to "I love your curls!" be "I bet you love them, too!", rather than, "I bet you hate them"...  

I eagerly await that day.  :)

Important read... Complex Curls: Issues of Race and Curly Hair

This is an unpublished piece presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco by author Ja'Nean Palacios of San Jose State University.  

Her paper does a fantastic job of linking our perceptions of race with those of curly hair, analyzing how women and men of various cultural backgrounds connect with their own curls. 

I am hoping to locate Palacios' master's thesis which deals with the experience of having curly hair.  If I locate it, I will post the information here.

The link below is to the paper's abstract.  Scroll down the page to "Get This Document" for two links to a PDF file:

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/0/8/9/5/p108957_index.html

All Sorts of Curly Heads!

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I recently worked with Genevieve Ruebel on my first photo shoot featuring my clients.  It was a TREMENDOUS success!  The pictures came out beautifully and I hope to see them up on the salon's website very soon.  But until then, I can share some of them here...

Thanks goes out to all the participants for your time and your lovely hair!

All photography by Genevieve Ruebel

Curls Up!

It’s slowly becoming warmer and more humid, and the desire to throw our hair up and out of the way is increasing right along with it. :)

There is a bit of method involved in putting our curls up, and being mindful of a few things will help our hair not only stay in place but stay healthy in the process.

When to put your curls up...

Never wet!!  Next to the hair being pulled too tightly, pulling your curls back when wet is the quickest path to breakage.  Curls are naturally prone to porosity which reduces hair strength, and significantly weaker when wet.  Once hair is dry the stretch-factor of the strand decreases immensely, and it is much easier to tell when the hair is being pulled too tightly.  If you must put your curls up when wet, scrunch as much water as possible out of your hair with a microfiber towel or t-shirt, and tie back loosely with a non-binding fabric tie, such as silk.  Or, gather your curls up into a silk scarf to hold the curls in place without stretching them.  Which leads to...

How to put your curls up...

There are lots of very beautiful and fun ways to put your hair up or back without losing its curliness.  I have a few favorite tools for this, which are...

Bobbi Pins-- These are a personal favorite because when placed properly they are invisible in the hair and will not pull.  I have bobbi pins in two sizes:  normal size and “jumbo” which is a bit thicker and longer and holds more hair.  One of the easiest, quickest ways to put your hair up is to gather it in the back, twist gently a few times and pin up into place.  Shorter curly styles can also utilize bobbi pins well to simulate a headband look by placing them around the forehead about 2 inches back.  My advice?  Buy a box of pins and play in front of the mirror.  Move your curls around in different positions and see which ones catch your eye.

Fabric headbands-- These are very fast, very lovely accessories for your hair.  No matter the length of your hair, a fabric headband is a great way to move hair away from the face and showcase the spill of curls in the back.  Naturallycurly.com sells a nice variety of these in all sorts of colors and patterns:

http://www.curlmart.com/Lots-of-Pretty-Accessories-p-1-c-31.html

Scarves-- Hair scarves are finally getting a bit more recognition for their versatility and easy of use.  Like fabric headbands, they safely hold the hair back without pulling.  The benefit of a scarf is that your styling possibilities are endless.  You can tie it around your curls as you would wear a headband.  You can weave it throughout a long pony tail or braid.   You can wear it like a bandana.   As with bobbi pins, the style possibilities are endless.

The above image comes from an Etsy shop named Watsijiru.  She makes beautiful and elegant hair scarves and her shop url is at this link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6466986

Adjunct...

Every now and then I will post something not directly related to curly interests. :)  

I recently completed a photo shoot featuring my curly clients and was aided by the wonderful and innovative Genevieve Ruebel.

In May, Genevieve will be receiving her BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Digital Photography and Conceptual Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  She has done work with the Crate & Barrel photography studio as well as worked on catalogs for Best Buy.  I suggest perusing her portfolio online to get a taste of some of her work:

http://www.coroflot.com/GinnyPig/

I would not hesitate to work with Genevieve again on future projects...she is a FANTASTIC Minneapolis-based resource for photography, graphic design, and illustration.

Image is mixed media- illustration and photography- by Genevieve Ruebel.

The Microfiber of it All.

I can't stress this enough...how you cleanse, condition, and DRY your hair has just as much effect on your finished curls as how you style it.  

Having the proper tool to towel-dry your hair will make a huge difference in the overall appearance (and condition) of your hair.

My number one recommendation is a microfiber towel.  Microfibers are great because they absorb a tremendous amount of water while at the same time keeping your curls calm and frizz-free.  When you towel-dry with a conventional terry cloth towel, the fiber loops will grab and pull at your hair, causing a bit of a "halo" effect and disrupting the natural fall of your locks.  

In a pinch, an old t-shirt is also a good choice.  Since it has no nap to pull at the hair, it is an effective scrunching device.  Your only compromise is absorption so if you have longer, fuller curls that hold a LOT of water, a t-shirt might not quite get the job done.

I have tried quite a few microfibers, and my favorite is the Plunking Towel offered by JessiCurl.  It is a big 24" x 32", so even the longest, thickest hair can be properly dried.  It has a good thickness and holds up very well to repeat washings.  For $15, not a bad deal.  :)  JessiCurl also sells a smaller, thinner version called the Scrunching Towel, which might be more appropriate for shorter, finer hair.

You can purchase the Plunking Towel at the link below:

http://www.jessicurl.com/Microfiber-Plunking-Towel-pr-647.html

The smaller Scrunching Towel:

http://www.jessicurl.com/Microfiber-Scrunching-Towel-pr-372.html

Also of note... Jessica (who runs Jessicurl) has some great videos on her site demonstrating various drying techniques with a microfiber... be sure to check them out!!

Hair Dryer Recommendation

It's interesting how the same question can pop up from several clients at relatively the same time.  I've been asked lately for hair dryer recommendations, and I figured I'd share it here.  :)

My pick...the CHI Pro Low EMF hair dryer (pictured below with concentrator nozzle attachment).

http://www.chiretail.com/tools/dryers/pro.html

This is their basic, no-frills model, and for the money, their best.  Two speeds, cold shot button ... couldn't be easier to operate.  It comes standard with a diffuser attachment and concentrator nozzle.  But the best features of the dryer, personally, are its light weight and negative ionic charge.

What is negative ionic charge, you may ask?

Simply put, it helps to break the water molecules in your hair down into smaller particles, thus dispersing moisture more efficiently, requiring less heat to dry the hair (and thus the cuticle does not open as much and consequently compromise hair integrity) and ensuring a quicker drying time.  If you are diffusing your hair and wish your curls to stay beautifully formed and shiny, negative ionic charge is a must.

The CHI Pro Low EMF is available at many online retailers, as well as ULTA stores.  Expect to pay about $110 for the dryer.  An investment, but entirely worth it.