Category: how to style natural hair

4 FroHawks That Will Make Your Mouth Drop

I just love a frohawk!

Why?

Well, it’s easy to do, looks am-a-zing and is perfect for the slightly colder months and the humid months where it’s easy to get frizzed up.

Here are 4 gorgeous frohawks that will leave you in awe.

Check them out below and if you like them, leave a comment below sharing what your favourite hairstyle is.

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How to Prevent and Reduce Heat Damage

flat-iron

Most naturalistas have suffered with it at some point. After all, the obsession with turning your tight coils into slick straight tresses is one that most of us have or have had at some point in our lives.

Yes, slick straight hair looks great but there’s a price to pay when you obsess over having it.

Nonetheless, there are ways to prevent and reduce the damaging effects of heat on the hair.

  1. Lower the heat setting.Rather than straightening your hair at 200 degrees celsius, reduce the heat down by 50 degrees to lessen the chances of any excessive damage.
  2. Prep your hair before you even begin straightening it. For instance, a good deep conditioning treatment before applying heat can make a huge difference in reducing the amount of damage that heat causes. Also, apply heat protectants so that your hair doesn’t suffer from the burn of a flat iron.
  3. Opt for wigs as a quick and easy alternative to straighteners. Wigs are awesome if you feel like changing your hair for a few days or want a snazzy style for a special occasion. Rather than ruining your natural curls, try rocking a high quality wig instead.
  4. Trim off excessively damaged hair the minute you spot it. If you see a kink that’s become limp, snip it off! You’ll save yourself from further damage in the process.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any hair-saving tips to share? Leave a comment below.

If you liked this post, tweet it and tag us on social media @mycurlsuk.

Till next time x

 

Nigerian Hairstyles Through The Years

As a young Nigerian girl, hair care and hairstyling were a fundamental part of my childhood.

There wasn’t a day that passed where hair care wasn’t mentioned.

Whether it was “your hair needs fixing” or “it’s time to re-do your hair,” hair was always a topic of conversation and once my aunts started talking about hair, they couldn’t stop.

Memories of having my hair plaited, relaxed and comb flooded through my body as I watched this brilliant video on Nigerian hairstyles through the years.

Some of the styles might seem a bit crazy looking to a non-West African person but they are a part of our culture and history.

One of the styles that I cherish most (but haven’t managed to muster up the bravery to rock it) is threading.

Threading simply involves a piece of wiry thready being wrapped around a small section of hair.

It might not look like the most stylish of hairdos but it sure does make your hair grow!

I swear threading was like the old-school equivalent of the inversion method. It worked a treat.

Take a look at the video below and if you’ve tried one of these hairstyles, leave a comment below.

Here’s to your hair’s happiness,

Victoria xo

 

 

6 Drop Dead Gorgeous Curly Hairstyles For Spring

With the sun shining and the weather heating up, it’s the perfect time to throw away some of the not-so-fun winter protective styles and opt for far more fun natural hairstyles!

I’ve been wearing my hair in braids all winter and now I’m ready to throw them out and rock my curls!

Can I get an Amen in the comments if you’re feeling the same?

The problem with wearing braids, weaves or other protective styles that don’t involve your real hair is that you get so used to them that it becomes difficult to remember how to style and care for your real hair.

I’ve gone through this so many times which is why I’ve been resistant to wearing my hair in braids for long periods.

In fact, this is the first year in a very long time where I’ve worn braids the whole of winter. I never want to be one of those people who is so obsessed with fake hair that I have no idea how to handle my real curls.

So what do you do when you’ve had your hair in braids, weaves etc and can’t remember how to style your natural hair?

You head over to THIS blog and read a blog post like this 🙂

To give you a sprinkle of hairspiration, we’re sharing 6 of the most drop dead gorgeous curly hairstyles for spring.

Take a look at the pictures below and leave a comment sharing which style you love the most.

 curly hairstyles for spring

 

Wishing you a wonderful Easter,

Victoria x

‘Froing To Extreme Lengths: 4 Crazy Things You Could Do To Grow Longer Hair In 2016

'froing to the extreme: hair growth methods for natural afro hair

For some women their hair is too short.

For others it’s too thin.

And for others it’s too thick.

Truth be told that most women (especially women of colour) have a desire to grow longer hair in some shape or form.

The difference however is that most women aren’t willing to go to extreme lengths to grow their hair and would instead prefer a magic pill or potion that could do it for them.

You see, growing longer hair is a bit like being on a diet. You could take diet pills in the hope that they’d magically burn fat 24/7 or you could work out and eat more mindfully.

The second option just sounds like way too much work for most people but at the back of their minds they know that it really is the best way to get lean.

It’s the same thing with hair care. Magic pills sound great but they aren’t the safest or most reliable way of growing longer hair.

So what can you do instead?

And what can you do if you want to grow your hair ridiculously long in under 12 months?

Here are a few extreme hair growth strategies that have worked for some women.

Please note that we are not recommending that you do them and we certainly recommend that you do thorough research before opting for any of these hair growth methods.

Crazy Thing 1. Extreme Bunning.

Bunning simply refers to the process of wearing your hair in a bun for days, weeks or even months on end. Most extreme bunners have a method that works well for them and it consists of something along the lines of comb/brush hair, moisturise heavily, add oils and then place hair in a bun for 3-7 days.

Pros? It works really well for some people. I’ve tried it at various points and it certainly helped with reducing excess breakage and retaining length.

Cons? Wearing your hair in a bun can cause your edges to be pulled tightly which can lead to breakage around the hair line.

It can also be very boring to wear your hair in pretty much the same style every day just for the purpose of growing it to extreme lengths.

Crazy Thing 2: Baggying.

What?

Yeah, I said the same thing when I first came across this method several years ago.

The simplified explanation of baggying is that it involves covering your hair in a plastic wrapping over night. The heat and steam from the bag helps to lock in moisture.

Pros? It can help to keep your hair very soft and moisturised which in turn can lead to hair growth.

Cons? It’s potentially dangerous especially if used improperly. This is something to be very cautious about doing.

Crazy Thing 3: Wigs.

Wigs can be incredible. They allow you to switch up your hairstyle quickly and easily without causing damage to your real hair.

In many ways they are a potential godsend.

They can help with hair growth because they allow you to cornrow your hair and leave it alone for weeks or even months on end which in turn reduces breakage.

Pros? They’re a great option for women who want to protect their hair whilst rocking fun hairstyles.

Cons? Some women develop the habit of becoming so obsessed with making their wigs look great that they forget to care for their real hair (which should always be the focus).

Crazy Thing 4: Pills.

There are hundreds of companies who claim that their pill will stimulate hair follicles, promote growth and increase your hair’s shine. Whilst some of these products might genuinely work, it can be difficult to gage how effective they are.

Pros? It’s an easy method to stick to- take a pill and wait for growth.

Cons? Your hairs rate of growth depends on a variety of factors including genetics, your diet, hair regimen and much more. It’s therefore unwise to solely rely on pills for fast hair growth.

All of the above methods have their advantages and disadvantages and what works for one person might not work for another so it’s important to iterate a little and figure out which method or product works best for you.

I hope you enjoyed this article and as always, leave a comment below sharing which hair growth strategy is your fave.

Victoria xo

How Can I Find Out The Texture Of My Hair?

How do I figure out my hair type?

I have no clue what my hair type or texture is, help!

Is my hair 4b, 4c or 4a? I have no idea!

These are just a few questions that many naturalistas ask when it comes to the whole hair type debacle.

We recently came across a brilliant chart by the folks at BuzzFeed that makes finding out your hair type super quick and easy!

Take a look at it below and in the comments tell us what your hair type is based on the chart!

 

hair type chart by buzzfeed

Hair Type Chart by @BuzzFeed

PS. It’s perfectly normal to have several hair types! Mine varies from 3b to 4b which means I have a lot of textures to deal with, understand and manage. It’s not always easy dealing with multiple hair textures but it is a lot of fun 🙂

Here’s to knowing more about your hair and loving every inch of it!

As always, if you have a burning hair care question tweet it to us @mycurlsuk and we’ll answer it in an upcoming blog post.

Victoria xo

Hair Overwhelm: Has The Natural Hair Movement Has Caused More Harm Than Good?

natural hair overwhelm

As much as I love being a naturalista and I’m incredibly proud of how far the natural hair scene has progressed over the past decade or so, I can’t help but sometimes feel very overwhelmed by the amount of information, advice and trends that constantly crop up. The hardest thing is the fact that much of the advice is contradictory.

Some naturals claim that it’s great to detangle with a wide-toothed comb whilst others say that we should abandon combs all together!

Some say that brushes are best whilst others say that our fingers are the only combs we need. Which is it? What do you do?

To comb or not to comb? That is the question!

Then there are the claims about naturals who’ve achieved rapid hair growth through regimens like the LOC and inversion methods.

If you’ve tried either, you might have found a hair growth panacea that works for you or you might have discovered that too much of any regime simply drives you and your hair nuts!

I’ve been natural for several years now and I’ve been following the natural hair movement for probably around 8 years (yes, it’s been that long). Back in the day there were simply a few forums that catered to women who wanted healthier, longer hair but nowadays, there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of blogs, websites, forums, Instagram accounts and Facebook pages that share a plethora of advice on natural hair care.

Whilst it’s great that we have so much more information available, it also has a downside.

Namely, the fact that when there’s too much information, you don’t know where to look or where to start.

It can be difficult.

So this begs the question, how do naturalistas find both balance and clarity in a wold that’s filled with contradictory advice and too many options?

How do we avoid becoming the victims of a choice paradox?

How do we find our own unique path to healthier hair? 

What’s the solution?

Now, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the overload in hair care information?

How do you deal with it?

Leave a comment below sharing how you feel.

PS. This might have been my most honest and open blog post yet but I’ve come to realise that honesty and vulnerability are catalysts for personal growth. I hope that in sharing how I feel, I’ll open up discourse for other women who might be feeling the same way.

Here’s to hair happiness,

Victoria xo.

Protective Styling For Spring: Braids

Whilst most people think that protective styles like braids can only be worn during the colder months, in actuality braids make for great hairstyles all year round.

Check out these gorgeous hairstyles that are not only great for protective styling but are also perfect for the spring.natural hair styles braids

PS. Have you seen our newly updated website? We love it!

my curls

Check it out if you haven’t already.

Wishing you a fab week,

Victoria.

Founder, MyCurls.co.uk

5 Gorgeous Valentine’s Day Hairstyles For Natural Hair

With Valentine’s Day being just two days away, you might be wondering what on earth you’re going to do with your hair.

Truth be told, it can be a complete pain to come up with a look that works well on your curled tresses and you might also be wondering whether it’s worth straightening it or rocking the biggest afro ever.

Whether you’re heading out to enjoy a night out with the girls, or off on a romantic date with your other half, these 5 hairstyles are sure to make you look and feel sublime.

Take a look and leave a comment below letting us know which of the hairstyles is your fave.

#1 The FrowHawk

Mohawk + kinky, curly hair = the frowhawk.

frowhawk natural hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2 The Twistout 

It’s a natural girl’s go-to hairstyle for a reason. Twistouts rock because they’re versatile, easy to do and look amazing.

twist out natural hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3# Cornrows.

Whilst most of us associate cornrows with having mum plait your hair in Primary School, they can in fact be a great hairstyle for formal and glamorous occasions. Take for instance, Christina Milian who rocked this gorgeous look on the red carpet in November. Just goes to show that they old school hairstyles can be modernised.

cornrows natural hairstyles formal occasions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Getty Images, November 2014.

#4. The Afro.

This picture says it all. The Afro can be a wonderfully glamorous hairstyle if paired with the right makeup

and a chic outfit.

hairstyles formal occasions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#5 The High Bun

The high bun was one of the most worn hairstyles in 2014 for a reason. It’s also brilliant for keeping natural hair protected which means that you get the added benefit of healthier hair alongside a glamorous look.

formal hairstyles natural hair high bun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Top Six Hair Tips And Tricks That Actually Work

The Top Six Hair Tips And Tricks That Actually Work

From family friends to hairstylists, you may have heard some advice about your strands that doesn’t seem quite right. Well, now you can try these seven tips and tricks that actually work.

afrohair

 

Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day

Unless your hair is incredibly oily, you really do not need to wash it every day. In fact, using shampoo on your hair every day can strip it of natural oils. Once you start with this new hair-washing routine, you might start to notice that your hair feels softer. You may wish to consider conditioning your strands each day still. Talk to your stylist about what is best for your locks.

Use Lotion to Tame Frizz

When your strands are filled with frizz, you’ve probably tried numerous ways to bid it adieu. The next time your hair is misbehaving, run some body lotion or hand lotion over your hair. Generally, you want to avoid doing this near your scalp so that your hair doesn’t look greasy, but it can tame frizz elsewhere. Make sure it is already rubbed in your hands so a minimal amount gets on your hair. A little goes a long way with this method.

Low Ponytail to Reduce Frizz

Perhaps you can’t imagine a hairstyle made for sports and quiet nights at home as being one of your biggest styling tools. After you get out of the shower and once your hair is brushed, put it into a low ponytail. This trick can help to get rid of frizz and flyaways so that you have beautiful hair when you take it out.

Don’t Brush Your Hair

As unusual as it sounds, you should try not brushing your hair, particularly if you have curly strands. When you brush curly hair, you are often bringing frizz to the surface and ruining the natural definition of your locks. Use a wide-toothed comb to go through knots and detangle your hair instead.

Go Natural

Wearing your hair as it is might sound like your biggest nightmare, but it can actually turn out to be the best decision that you ever made. There’s nothing wrong with showing off your natural hair color and texture. Throw in a little gel or hair spray if you need to, and you’ll have a sassy style that displays your true personality.

Turn off the Heat

Even if you want to use some products to style your hair and get a certain look, you don’t always need to use heat to do so. Straighteners, curling irons and blowdryers are great for those big nights out, but constantly putting too much heat on your hair can really damage it in the long run.

 

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box a little bit and try some ideas that might have previously sounded strange when it comes to your hair.

This is a guest post written by writing expert Anita Ginsburg.Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO and often writes about fashion, health, beauty and family. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family when she isn’t writing. When it comes to her hair, she personally recommends  remy hair extensions to add length and keep your hair looking healthy.

For hair care tips and the best curly hair products, visit www.mycurls.co.uk.