B003YL4KS0 EBOK (36 page)

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I love splashing around in the pool or ocean as much as the next curly girl, but it’s important to heed some hair-protective tips before you jump in. The chlorine used in pool water can dehydrate your hair, give blond hair a green cast, and make brown hair look ashen. Some tips:

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Before swimming, pour extra virgin olive oil in your hands, rub them together, and apply in a downward motion to the top layer of your hair. How much you use depends on how dense your hair is. Since oil and water don’t mix, the oil will repel the chlorinated water. Get a spray bottle from a hardware store to make applying the oil easier.

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If you wear a bathing cap, spray the lining of the cap with olive oil. This not only protects the hair from breakage, but makes it easier to remove the cap after your swim.

•
Never
use shampoo to wash your hair after swimming. The combination of chlorine and sulfates in shampoo adds a double dose of chemicals to your hair’s delicate surface. And don’t be fooled by products that promote themselves as “swimmer’s shampoo,” because most of these also contain sulfates. To remove chlorine, cleanse hair right after swimming with a sulfate-free cleanser or botanical conditioner and rinse. Apply another application of conditioner, comb it through with your fingers, and either leave it all in if you are sitting poolside or beachside or do a trickle rinse. (For those with very fine or straight hair, rinse out conditioner completely.) If you’re unable to rinse your hair immediately after swimming, bring conditioner in a spray bottle to the pool and spritz it on hair each time you get out of the water.

Q
I’ve been sick, depressed, on antibiotics, and broke up with my boyfriend. My hair looks awful. Is there a connection?

SPRING IS IN THE HAIR

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Any of those situations, individually or in combination, can have a profound effect on your curls. As a nonessential organ, your hair is at the bottom of the physiologic hierarchy, so it’s likely to be neglected by the body when the immune system is fighting disease or depression. Even the mildest medications may have side effects, and your hair is not immune to these reactions. (One client swears that when she takes decongestants for a day or two, her normally bouncy curls get dry and flat.)

An emotional crisis or period of high stress can trigger skin conditions like acne, eczema, hives, psoriasis, and cold sores. So it’s no surprise when your scalp and hair also reflect your emotional state. If you lose your job or are suffering from a break-up, you’re likely to eat badly, stay up too late, and lie in bed instead of exercising, and your hair will reflect this. (And serious stress can also cause hair loss.) The good news is: Your hair will bounce back as soon as you do. In the meantime, keep it tied back lightly, don’t skimp on conditioner, drink plenty of water, take a tablespoon of flax oil, fish oil, or olive oil, and, above all, don’t make any drastic changes in your hairstyle. Wait until you’re on the mend to experiment with a new cut or a different color.

It’s a fact that curly hair is different every day—sometimes every hour. Its unpredictable nature is probably why so many curly girls think blow-drying their precious curls straight is a good “social security” policy for big occasions. To tame Miss-behaving curls before becoming a Mrs., curly girls will even schedule their weddings based on seasons and geography, usually choosing autumn or winter in a very dry climate because of the lower humidity levels.

Some curlies will straighten their curls and then use a curling iron to mimic what their hair does naturally! (That’s like replacing a natural food with a synthetic product that’s been enriched with vitamins.) Then these curly girls use enough hair spray to burn a hole in the ozone and make their hair as hard as a Darth Vader
helmet. I remember being at one wedding on a wet, rainy evening watching a sea of blow-outs—including the bride’s—unfurl in front of me, every one of their dried out cuticles opening up, reaching out to the atmosphere, looking for moisture with their natural survival instinct. (I would do the same if I were in a dry desert!)

For most special occasions—and of course “the big day”—a lot of curly girls tell me they want to do something different with their hair, but want to look like themselves and not overdone. There are many individual, elegant updos you can create that allow your curls to be the star of the show and only require that you use what you already have. It’s as simple as collecting your curls upward and pinning them gracefully next to each other. The first rule in any updo is to not overdo. If a few random ringlets fall out, leave them; all curly updos should make you look and feel like a goddess. Dressy barrettes, covered clips, broaches or necklaces made into hair jewelry, gold-or silver-colored threads or ribbons intertwined with your updo will certainly create tresses to impress.

On the big day, wake early to cleanse and set your hair as described for your curl type (see
chapter 3
,
page 19
), but use or leave in a bit more conditioner and gel to ensure no frizz (which can happen from touching your hair while you style). Don’t start creating your updo until your hair is completely dry (except for the sleek Yin Yang look on
page 169
), which means you may have to get up extra early to give hair enough time to dry. Handle your curls gently and use a fabric-covered ponytail holder to prevent breakage. Whenever you wear a ponytail for a date, make it special by wrapping a piece of hair around the ponytail holder and secure it with a pin. Also important: Practice creating your wedding updo and the timing of it a couple of weeks or days before the special event.

Now, here’s how to create twelve special-occasion looks that are sexy, playful, funky, elegant, and, best of all, easy to do yourself.

For long-haired girls with corkscrew curls, this updo will make you look like a goddess.

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Gather your curls at the nape of the neck, and twist the hair gently while moving it in an upward direction. Roll the twist inward up the back of your head, stopping at the crown. This creates a seam or crease in the back.

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When you’ve twisted the strands as far as they will reach, hold your hair in place with one hand. With your free hand, secure the twist by weaving and inserting bobby pins into and along the seam.

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To soften the look, leave out a few strands around the hairline before putting your hair up.

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If you have short hair, follow the instructions above, but make the twist very tight, and use as many bobby pins as you need to secure the shorter strands of hair. An exaggerated amount of exposed bobby pins can look really chic.

For a romantic twist on the Goddess Curl updo, left:

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Twist a strand of colored ribbon, leather, or a necklace, and place it on your head by crisscrossing it twice around the updo or chignon.

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Pin the ribbon in place with bobby pins or tiny sequined clips, leaving any excess fabric or piece of jewelry to hang free at the nape. Or dress up your twist by inserting hair jewelry or a fresh flower at the side or intertwined in a curl or the seam of the chignon.

With hair swept elegantly off to one side, this look is reminiscent of a retro ‘50s movie siren.

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For this asymmetrical look, gather your hair to one side of your head so it rests at the shoulder.