Category: natural hairstyles
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.
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.
Trimming Natural Hair: How To Trim Your Hair With Ease
Trimming or cutting your natural hair can be daunting especially if you’ve typically relied on hairstylists to do it for you.
Despite seeming like a nerve-wrecking thing, trimming your curls is actually not that difficult to do if you follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Always trim/cut with a professional hair scissors. Never scrimp by cutting your hair with a household scissors that just happens to be lying around. If you do that, your hair might potentially become more damaged!
2. To get the best results from trimming always hold the tips of your hair towards the light so that you can clearly see split ends and single strand knots. Sometimes, knots and splits have a way of disappearing or seeming difficult to find. By holding your ends up to the light you’ll be able to see damaged hair far more quickly.
3. Get used to ‘dusting.’ What’s that? It refers to the process of only trimming the unhealthy and damaged parts of your hair and not the rest of it. For example, traditionally, stylists and hair professionals have encouraged us mere amateurs to trim our hair in sections. Whilst this is great if you want your hair to be more even in length, it has the unfortunate downside of causing you to lose both your healthy and unhealthy hair. If you’re looking to retain as much length as possible, only trim off the unhealthy ends rather than trimming your hair in sections. This process is called dusting.
Now it’s over to you: do you have a secret or special method for finding dodgy strands and snipping them? Leave a comment below telling us what you do to keep knots and splits at bay.
PS. if you’re looking to get shinier curls this summer, check out our range at MyCurls.co.uk.
Till next time,
Victoria xo
Founder, MyCurls.
Natural Hair Rules: 7 Commandments Every Curly Girl Needs To Follow
Ever catch yourself look at girls with enviable poker straight hair and wonder what a ball of fuzz your curly hair is? Fret not! Hereís a detailed guide on how to unlock those dread locks and transform into a goddess with a curly and bouncy gorgeous mane and ingredients to use to pamper your lustrous locks.
Oiling your hair before washing it has proved to be a great conditioner. Curly hair responds very well to jojoba and olive oil.
Deep conditioning always helps cases of unmanageable frizzy hair. In emergency situations, when you have to head out for a hot date or that fancy evening soiree, the best thing to do to control your curly hair would be deep conditioning. Find a protein conditioner that suits you and apply a dime size dollop into your hands and massage into your scalp. This keeps it soft and shiny for the rest of the day and also adds an extra texture to your mane. Natural conditioners like shea butter are very safe to use.
Most curly haired girls are conscious about their texture and often resort to styling methods to straighten out their hair and hide that uneven curly and wavy texture. These methods involve heating tools such as flat irons and clampers. You might want to ditch them as heating your curly hair will only make it weak from the roots and brittle in texture, thereby making your hair look like a frizzy mess.
In a hot weather, it is best to use mild shampoos and not ones that have strong chemicals that damage your hair. In case of too much humidity, when you sweat and you feel like washing your hair every day after a long day at work, use baby shampoo. The strong chemicals in regular shampoo makes curly hair all the more difficult to maintain stripping it from its natural oils from the scalp and with an extra frizz added to your hair. Using a mild shampoo for everyday use or in cases when you want to wash your hair more than the regular thrice a week regime, will make it soft and moisturized.
Split with the dead ends. Going to a hair salon and getting a short trim and cutting your split ends will enable your curly hair to grow stronger and make it look luscious and bouncy rather than rough and erratic.
Always use a wide toothed comb. This is not the eighties. You do not want an afro on your head and you know you have to detangle your hair ASAP! But how will you, with your hair getting stuck in those tiny bristles of that comb? So unless you want to indulge in an arm wrestle by yanking your brush out of your hair, detangle your hair with your fingers and a wide toothed comb and use this comb every day to brush your hair.
Applying salon products like hair serums and hair mousse while proving to be helpful could be very tricky to use. You do not want your hair dripping with greasiness for someone to be able soak it with a paper towel. Use hair products with great care and always scrunch them into your curls. Do not layer it all over your hair into a greasy lump. Honey with a tea spoon of milk gives a nice bounce just like a hair product would
And last but not the least, love yourself including those curls. Being confident is the best gift you could give your hair and yourself. You are unique and beautiful that way. Stay gorgeous.
Hot Hair Fixes: 4 Quick Ways To Cure Damaged Hair
As we nearer further and further into the summer, many of us experience damaged hair. Hair damage can take various forms including split ends, single strand knots, hair thinning, frizz and even traction alopecia.
Hair damage can also be particularly frustrating for those of us with curly, kinky and afro textured hair because our hair is dryer and therefore tends to be more prone to breakage.
However, most types of hair damage can be cured. Here are 4 of the best ways to cure your damaged curls.
Use the best conditioner for your hair type and texture. You know your hair best and you therefore know what products on your hair. In order to find the best conditioner you do have to experiment a little by testing different products on your hair. Once you find a great conditioner that really nourishes your hair, hold onto it and make it your go-to co-washing product.
Focus on protection. If you have split ends, lots of single strand knots or hair breakage then there’s a possibility that you’ve been over-manipulating your hair. To reverse the damage done it’s best to keep your hair protected. That might mean parting with your favourite hairstyles (like braids or weaves) and instead, focus on wearing your hair in simple styles that elevate the hair away from the shoulders. Good options for protective styling are ponytails, high buns and twists. Wear your hair in protective styles until it’s in better condition.
Don’t towel dry your hair. Towels and curly/afro hair don’t mix. If you need to dry your hair use a cotton t-shirt because it’s softer, reduces frizz levels and won’t cause your hair to rip or tear. Put simply, cotton t-shirts are amazing for drying natural hair.
Get your hair back to tip top shape. The best way to do this is to make sure you are deep conditioning your hair at least once every 2 weeks until your hair is restored to good health. Make sure you use a good deep conditioning treatment or hair mask that contains natural ingredients, is silicone free and contains good proteins.
If you’d like more advice on caring for your curls join our VIP newsletter list.
Till next time,
Victoria.
Founder, www.mycurls.co.uk
3 Spring Hairstyle Ideas For 2014 and Beyond
I don’t know about you but here in London the Spring whether it usually pretty glum.
That means that wearing your curls out or sporting a ‘fro isn’t such a great idea and it’s usually best to cover your curls in a hat.
However, it is possible to look chic and glam regardless of how good or bad the weather is.
Here are 3 spring hairstyle ideas that will keep your hair looking fab for weeks to come!
#1 The Milkmaid Braid
Simple, chic and versatile. This hairstyle is bound to get heads turning whilst also allowing you to have low maintenance hair for several days. It’s also a brilliant option if you’re thinking about keeping your hair in a protective style.
#2 The Side Part
Side partings add extra ‘umph’ to your hair without taking much time to create. To make creating side partings easy, simply start with damp hair, apply a coin sized amount of oil to the palm of your hands, massage into your hair and scalp and then take a long tail comb and create the parting. It takes just a few minutes and looks great!
#3 The Low Ponytail
According to Elle.com, the super sleek low ponytail is back this spring.
What’s great about the low ponytail is that it’s perfect for medium and longer lengthed hair. However, girls with shorter hair can still achieve the look by using hair extensions or a clip-on ponytail.
If you’d like more natural hairstyle ideas don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter where I share advice, tips and hair care treats. Click here to subscribe.
7 Protective Hairstyle Ideas For Natural Hair
Hey Curlettes!
Have you ever been stuck for ideas on how to style your hair? I know I have and it’s not fun.
The truth is that styling your curls should be a breeze and it shouldn’t take forever to think of hairstyle ideas that will work for you.
Take a look at the hairstyle ideas below and leave a comment below telling me what your favourite style is.
As always, the best hair advice and information is shared in our newsletter. It’s free and packed with awesome tips and inspiration that you’ll love.
Have a fab day!
Victoria 🙂
Founder, MyCurls.co.uk.
How To Care For Thinning Hair
Have you ever felt self-conscious because your hair was thinning?
Have you had to cover it up with scarves and hats to hide thin spots or worried that it was excessively breaking?
Don’t fret because you’re not alone.
Women (and men) of all hair textures and ethnicities experience hair thinning at some point or another.
In fact statistics show that more than 21 million women in the USA alone experience hair thinning at some point.
How can you prevent or reduce thinning hair?
Here are some steps to take:
1. Ditch tight weaves and tight braids. Many women make the mistake of sacrificing their real hair’s health for the fun of wearing a glamorous looking weave or thin braids.
The truth of the matter is that many women fail to keep an eye on how tight their extensions are and as a result they experience traction alopecia (a severe form of hair breakage) because the hair has been pulled too tightly.
If you want a headful of luscious natural hair, avoid getting your hair styled too tightly and tell your hair stylist to be cautious with your hair.
Always remember that your hair is fragile and should be handled with care.
2. Don’t comb excessively. There’s an ancient Greek adage that says ‘nothing in excess.’ That definitely rings true when it comes to your hair.
Combing or brushing your hair excessively or harshly causes it to break, tear and snap. Be careful with how often you comb your hair and try to finger comb instead of always combing it with a brush or comb.
3. Be health conscious. Believe it or not, your diet plays a crucial role in your hair’s condition. If your health isn’t in check, it will often reflect in your hair’s condition.
Firstly, if you experience persistent hair thinning, go to the doctor and get checked out. It could for instance be a sign of an under active thyroid.
If however, you’re experiencing thinning hair despite the fact that you have no medical problems, you might want to pay closer attention to your diet by upping your vegetable, fruit and water intake.
Also, if you haven’t been working out, get moving! Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day and don’t forget that doing things like walking up a flight of stairs, jogging in your living room and dancing all add up.
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Q&A: How Often Should You Wash Natural Hair?
One of my blog readers, Sandra, emailed me with a question regarding how often should she wash her natural hair.
Firstly, can I just say that this is a brilliant question.
Within the black community it has traditionally been believed that washing black hair can be damaging because over-shampooing strips curly/afro hair of moisture.
As a result, many black and mixed race women have grown up with the belief that it is bad to wash their curls too often.
Whilst, there is a lot of truth to this assertion, it’s important to pay attention to a few things.
#1. We need to clarify what is meant by ‘washing.’
If you plan on shampooing your afro or curly hair every day, you will most likely over-cleanse your hair and that will ultimately result in dryness which in turn leads to breakage.
Curly and afro hair chicks should therefore not shampoo their hair every day.
That leads me to my next point.
#2. Shampooing daily is bad but rinsing your hair daily is good! In fact it’s great! Natural hair loves water and it is therefore a brilliant idea to apply warm water to your hair on a regular basis. Why do you think that almost all hair products contain water as the first or second ingredient? It’s because water is one of the best natural moisturisers for natural hair. If your hair is tightly-coiled, kinky textured or prone to tangles and knots, it’s recommended that you apply water and oil to your hair on a daily (or very frequent) basis.
In other words, replace daily shampooing with daily rinsing and your hair will look amazing!
#3. Co-washing. If you’ve never heard of the term co-washing before it simply refers to washing your hair with conditioner rather than shampoo. It sounds a little strange but millions of naturals swear by it.
Co-washing allows natural girls to cleanse their hair without over-cleaning it. Furthermore, it’s effective because most conditioners will not strip your hair of its natural oils unlike shampoos.
Whilst co-washing sounds like a curly girl’s dream solution to preventing over-shampooing and dryness, it can have it’s downsides.
For one thing, over co-washing or co-washing too often can lead to product build up. Product build up simply refers to when your hair is weighed down by so much product which causes your hair to be sticky, gooey and a dry, crazy mess. Product build up is incredibly common in women who co-wash too often.
So if over co-washing is bad and over-shampooing causes dryness, what can a natural haired girl do instead?
Here are some tips to help you.
#1 Shampoo your hair once a week at most. Ideally, you should shampoo your hair once every 2-3 weeks and use a sulphate free shampoo that contains healthy natural oils. Our Cleansing Cream Shampoo does just that.
#2 Co-wash your natural hair once every 2-3 days at most. Ideally you should co-wash once a week. Like I said above, over co-washing can cause build up so try to do it once a week rather than daily.
#3 Rinse or wet your hair daily. Some naturalistas prefer to rinse their hair in the shower and that’s perfectly fine. However, if that option isn’t for you simply get a spay bottle and fill it with water. Spritz as much as you need onto your hair and you’ll get the benefits of rinsing in a very time efficient way.
Now it’s your turn. In the comments below tell me what was your biggest takeaway from reading this post? Will you co-wash less or more often? Or, are you excited to be rinsing your hair daily? I’d love to hear from you.
PS. If you haven’t already, subscribe to my VIP list and get free hair tips + discounts on natural hair products. Click here to subscribe.
How To Get Rid of Frizzy Hair Using This Secret Source
Frizzy hair can be a nightmare!
Most of us have experienced frizz at some point in our lives and it can be one of the most annoying hair qualms.
If you’ve been battling with frizz, don’t fret.
Here’s one awesome thing you can do to stop your hair from frizzing up and driving you crazy.
Wanna know what that tip is?
It’s simple. Stop using a towel to dry your hair and instead us a t-shirt.
Yes, a t-shirt!
Why ditch a towel?
Firstly, the rough texture of towels not only dries your hair out but also causes friction when it rubs against your hair. This in turn leads to frizz.
Imagine, rubbing something rough-textured against something fragile and frail.
Now contrast that to using something a soft-textured t-shirt on your hair?
When you think about it, using a towel on your delicate tresses makes no sense if you want softer, frizz-free curls.
So, if you’re experiencing frizz, the first thing you should do is swap your hair towel for a soft, cotton t-shirt.
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How to look after braids during the winter
During the winter months many curly girls and naturalists chose to wear their hair in braided styles.
Braids are excellent for several reasons. Firstly, they can provide your hair with great protection from the harshness that’s caused by the cold.
Secondly, they provide versatility by allowing you to create multiple hairstyles and looks without having to constantly manipulate your real hair and they also prevent you from putting heat on your natural hair. When used correctly, braids can be amazing!
The problem with braids however is that many women simply don’t know how to look after them and this can cause breakage, damage and even traction alopecia.
So how do you look after your hair when it’s in braids?
Here are some tips to help.
Keep them clean.
Your scalp can get particularly dirty when your hair is in braids and this can clog up your follicles and restrict hair growth.
To keep your scalp clean shampoo your hair every 2 weeks and use a sulphate and silicone free shampoo.
Another way to keep your scalp clean is to use a toothbrush. It sounds crazy but one of the best ways to get a clean scalp while your hair is in braids is to put some of your favourite shampoo on a toothbrush and use the brush to clean your scalp. This little trick does wonders and it really cleans out the parts of your scalp that you might otherwise miss. Of course make sure you rinse out the shampoo after washing your hair.
Keep it moisturised.
Keeping your hair moisturised prevents dryness and breakage and it will massively help to keep your hair in top-notch shape whilst it’s in braids. To keep it moisturised, do two things:
- Firstly, use a hair spray or hair mist that’s enriched with oils like jojoba and olive oil. This will add moisture to your hair and scalp.
- Secondly, apply oil directly to your scalp so that it doesn’t dry out.
Watch those edges.
Finally, make sure that you re-do the edges of your hair every 2 weeks so that you significantly reduce hair breakage whilst also ensuring that your hair looks great whilst it’s in braids. By edges, we mean the parts of your hair that are closest to your face. The edges just so happen to be the most delicate part of your hair and they’re prone to breakage and damage.
Are you rocking braids this winter? Leave a comment below telling us what type of look you’re sporting.
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Have a wonderful week!
Victoria x
My Curls 