First Class Curls

Getting Started with Naturally Curly Hair

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. – Maya Angelou

In the natural hair community, natural doesn’t necessarily mean low maintenance. Although it’s a healthier alternative to relaxers and other chemically enhanced products, the upkeep does involve some work. However the key is to create a rhythm for yourself that after a while it will just become “second nature.” Let’s get started on your natural curly hair journey. Here is what you need:

1. A Great Cut – Find a hairstylist you trust and chop off those dead ends! Holding on to old, dead hair just for length is not a good thing. Trust me, your hair will grow back and it will be healthier and more beautiful. Also, even if you don’t have much dead hair, sometimes a different shape can give your tresses back some life. You will also feel renewed!

2. Know Your Hair – I cannot stress enough how important it is to know your hair’s characteristics. Knowing your hair’s porosity, density and width will help you with caring for your hair. A curlie with high porosity will have a regimen different from a curlie with low porosity. To have healthy, beautiful hair, this step is essential. I have low porosity, medium density, and fine to medium width strands. Now that is a mouthful, but knowing this has empowered me to feel good about the choices I make for my curls. Start with determining your hair porosity, this will tell you how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. I have another post where I talk a little more in depth on this topic. Click the following link to read more about porosity, density and width: 3 Things You Need to Know to Care for your Curls

3. Create a Regimen and Stick to It – Once you’ve gotten rid of the split and dead ends with your great cut and you’ve identified your hair’s key characteristics, you are ready to find the products that will work best for your hair. Finding the right products and using them properly is the last step to getting you on your way to beautiful, healthy curly hair. Also, find a routine and stick to it. For instance, deep condition weekly, clarify monthly, etc. Now, every curlie is different so this is going to involve some trial and error. And this is ok, as long as you are willing to experiment, it will make this step more enjoyable. Plus, if you are a product junkie like me, then this will be your favorite part on your natural hair journey.

I hope these tips will be helpful in getting your hair to look its best. I know that with a little patience and love, it will work out and you will LOVE YOUR HAIR!

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The Secret to Perfect Curly Hair | First Class Curls

curly hair secrets 12:40:00 PM

We always dreamed about this better life…

Now, I’m sure you came here thinking I was going to give you some divine secret, a magic pill or some mystical solution to the troubles you are experiencing with your natural, curly hair. Trust me; I’d be thinking the same thing, too. But honestly, there is no divine secret, no magic pill and no mystical solution. The one thing that I have found that has helped me has been…

…trial and error…

Yes you read it right – experimenting! Along with just trying things out, I’ve made sure to do the following:

· Track and Document – When I try new products or techniques, I’ve been using the Hair Journal App to help me with tracking the products I’m using along with pictures of the end results. I also use my Instagram account, @FirstClassCurls as another way to document and track the results the products I’ve been using give me. I have a passion for helping people, so the Instagram account lets me show what has worked for me, with hopes of helping others find what works for their hair.

· Know your hair – I’ve recently learned about hair porosity, density and width. Just in knowing this information has helped me put a lot of things into perspective. It’s given me a deeper level of knowledge with how to care for my hair. It has also explained why my hair behaves a certain way with and without product in it. And, if you are a product junkie, knowing your hair on this level will help you to tailor your hair product purchases to ones you will actually use and not feel like you are just wasting money. If interested, I can create a post solely dedicated to these 3 hair characteristic. Let me know in the comments below!

· Hair Inspiration – Following other curlies with similar hair type and texture gives me a good sense of how my hair will react to certain products and techniques. Keeping in mind that no one person will have hair exactly like yours, people with similar, hair porosity and curl patterns can follow similar hair care regimen and experience similar results. I have a few curly girls that I love to watch on YouTube and view their posts on Instagram. Their suggestions have been extremely valuable and helpful to me in getting my curls to behave.

In the end, putting in a little work up front and then creating a consistent curly hair regimen is going to be key to getting your perfect curls. Remember that it’s a process that will have its highs and lows. But looking at the lows as a learning rather than failure will get you more highs and more good curly hair days!

Finally, keep in mind that your hair, no matter what texture or curl pattern you have is just perfect the way it is. We are not on a journey to changing our curls to look like someone else’s, but rather on a journey to making our curls look and be the best that they can be.

- N

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