Corkscrew or Ringlets? It Doesn't Matter

I have clients with corkscrew curls and I have clients with wavy curls.

As for me, I've always been told mine are spiral ringlets. 

Drop the labels and start
understanding your hair.

We could go on and on, talking about curl patterns and classifications, even giving our curls fun names and descriptions. But you know what? None of that matters.  None of that is going to help you care for your hair. The "kind of curl" has nothing to do with which products you should use or which styling methods you should embrace.

The only thing that matters when it comes to the care of curly hair, like we explain in the book, are your particular hair properties: texture, porosity, elasticity and density. Your wave pattern has absolutely nothing to do with any other hair property. 

Our curls, after all, need to be free. They won't be ruled by labels.

That means knowing if you have “corkscrew” or “spiral” curls, or you are a “5K” or “9T” means a big fat nothing when it comes to the big picture.

Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

The Problem with Sulfates

Does this belong in your hair?

Sulfates are harsh, drying cleansers found in most regular shampoos. They are extremely damaging to curly hair because they strip it of its natural moisture, making it frizzy and unmanageable.
 

The biggest problem with sulfates is that it is very difficult to rinse your hair and scalp completely clean of them, and that means you leave behind a heavy detergent deposit. In Live Curly Live Free we explain how over time, this continues to build up and damages your hair follicles. Bottom line: This can result in hair loss, comedone (blackhead) formation and irritation.

The good news is that over the past several years, sulfate-free shampoos have become more and more popular. The bad news? Many manufacturers are replacing the sulfates with such things as sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, which can be just as drying to curly hair as sulfates are. 

What this all means is that for happy, healthy, shiny hair, it's not just grabbing a sulfate-free shampoo.  We'll be digging deeper into all this in future blogs.

Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

Curly Hair A-List

Here's a little-known fact: More than 65 percent of the population has curly hair, yet curl prejudice and ignorance runs rampant through our society.  Straight-haired actresses often get the lead roles, portraying the professionals and the elite, whereas their curly-haired counterparts are given minor parts at best. 

But that's all changing, with more and more celebrities flaunting their curls. And we're talking the A-List here, with the likes of Beyonce Knowles, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba.

* * * *

Also aboard the curly train is Disney, which introduced its first curly-haired princess with the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog. Meet Tiana, a "smart, tough and determined" waitress from New Orleans who "can hold down three jobs and still have time to dream." 

Like it or not, Disney plays a great role in society and especially in little girls' perceptions of what's pretty, which in turn reflects on how they see themselves. Curly-haired Tiana has been a great addition to the Disney Princess line, and we hope they give her some curly-haired friends soon.

Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.

It's Almost Summer! Rejoice!

Summer isn't technically here, but it's close enough, so it's time we start talking about HUMIDITY.

Now, if you're new to the Live Curly, Live Free world, you might be dreading this time of year. Heat, humidity, you're thinking that all means FRIZZ, right?

Not at all. You just need to adjust your daily routine a bit. The most important thing to know is that humidity has little impact on how our hair acts and responds. What does make a difference is the dew point, which we go into detail on in the Live Curly Live Free e-book. The dew point is the true measure of the amount of moisture in the air:

• If the dew point is 45°F or below, then there isn't much moisture in the air and your curls will need some help with an extra dose of leave-in conditioner. 
• If the dew point is 45°F-60°F, there is a normal amount of moisture in the air and you can go about your normal routine.
• If the dew point is above 60°F, it will start to feel humid. The higher the dew point,
  the more moisture is in the air, so the less leave-in conditioner you'll need!

Pay attention to the dew point and start playing around with the amount of product you use. Soon you'll figure out what works best when, and you'll spend less time fussing with your hair and more time playing with your curls.

Live Curly, Live Free, The e-book, is available for Kindle, iPad and Nook formats. In it, Curl Whisperer Tiffany Anderson-Taylor tells us all we need to know to have healthy, happy curls.