I’m embarrassed to admit that I not only watch “The Bachelor,” but also read posts on blogs about “The Bachelor." But I actually happened to come across some curl tips on a post that ranked the eligible bachelorettes by their hair
Last place went to, you guessed it, the curly girl. Or course it made me angry because Danielle’s curls are beautiful, and I loved that she embraced them on every episode. But here’s the critique from a woman who claims to be a veteran hairdresser:
“Danielle has 2 things working against her- tight curl, and frizz. Usually, they do go hand and hand, as curly hair tends to be much more dry than any other hair, which leads to frizz. I have a few suggestions for Danielle:
Find a stylist that specializes in a hair cutting technique called “Deva Curl” cutting. They are trained specifically for cutting curly hair, which can be tricky, by grouping the hair into “curl families.” They cut according to growth cycles and curl patterns. Hair grows in different cycles, and hair also grows in different patterns. With curly hair, it is essential to cut the same “family of curls” in the same direction bluntly. Point cutting (a technique used often to give hair a more texturized look), does not work on curly hair. Point cutting curly hair will leave the ends looking split, and therefore, more damaged. More damage means more frizz.
They also need to be cut in an uniformed fashion because in “curl families,” one section of hair grows in one direction, while another section grows in the opposite. By cutting hair with the direction of the pattern of the curl, you leave the hair with the right amount of volume, paired with the right amount of weight, keeping the hair from looking to “poofy.” I’ve seen curly haired clients leave a salon looking worse than when they came in because the stylist didn’t know what they were doing.
Next, Danielle needs some product, and she needs to use anything other than what she is using now. No man wants to run their hand through a woman’s hair only to feel hard, sticky product and crunchiness. A lot of women tend to deal with their curly hair by going with the old hairsprayed/gel look. You know, the wet, crunchy look that was popular back in the early 90′s… Or never. Taking off my stylist hat for a minute, I get it. I understand why someone with curly hair would give up and want to run in to the closest CVS or Rite Aid and load up on Aquanet and Wet’n Wild. “My curls are uncontrollable, so if I pour this product on like cement, it CAN’T frizz. Right?” Well, it can’t move or breathe either, so, technically, yes. But I’m going with wrong. Here’s why:
1. If the wind’s moving, and your hair isn’t, there’s something wrong.
2. It’s a quick fix. It seems to work in the moment, but the amount of alcohol they put in those products should be illegal. Someone should be arrested for murder because that’s what you’re doing, murdering your hair. Yes, technically it is already dead, but that’s not the point.
Alcohol is a key ingredient used in most hair products because it’s cheap, and it works great at first. It’s a quick fix. Over time, however, it dries up your hair, causing damage, breakage, split ends… And guess what that leads to? More frizz. So basically that product does the exact opposite of what you need it to do. And as I said earlier, curly hair is even more dry than other hair types, so alcohol is the last thing it wants or needs. It needs protein, humectants, essential oils that add nutrients back into the hair, not alcohol that strips the nutrients out of it.
So to Danielle I would say this, find a salon near you that specializes in Deva Curl, and for the love of God, put the Aquanet down. Try some coconut oil, Moroccan oil, a deep conditioning mask once a week. Your hair can be beautiful and curly without looking like cement, and a man will be able to run his fingers through your hair without getting them stuck on a chunk of gel. You, your hair, and the mystery man’s hand will thank me for it.
