Wavy Hair Care

I have been experimenting with hair care for the past nine months and have finally come to an understanding of what my hair type is and how to care for it!

My hair was always straight when I was little and then went super curly in high school. (For curly hair care, I highly recommend Anjana @ Curls and Beauty Diary.) When I went to college, I expected my hair to curl less in the and high and dry climate of Wyoming vs. the subtropical climate of Virginia. But what ended up happening was that my hair would curl for about three hours after I showered, and then would hang stringy and weird for the rest of the day. Rewetting it the next day did no good, and brushing it made it frizzy. I was lost, confused, and frustrated. (A bit melodramatic, yes, but what can I say, I love my hair and strive for excellence in all things, lol). 

Finally, here in quarantine I have discovered the secrets of my hair and have noticed a considerable increase in my daily satisfaction and motivation to take even better care of myself. <3

Let me tell you how I did it:

The first thing to figure out is your hair type, which can easily be done through my dear friend, Google. My hair is between a 2a and a 3a depending on the climate, which translates to pretty fine, mostly wavy, and sometimes curly. I also have a lot of it!

The next thing to realize is that most of us are unknowingly drying out our hair far past what is necessary in the name of cleaning it. The sulfate in most shampoos does its job of stripping our hair of oils a little too well and removes the natural strengthening and nurturing oils as well as the dirty greasy ones. So something to consider would be either shifting to a sulfate-free shampoo, or (a much cheaper option and the one I use) use bar soap in your hair.

Step 1: Deep Condition Hair Overnight before Showering. I rub a palmful of coconut oil into my hair from the roots to the tips and then toss it in a bun the night before I shower. You can toss on a turban, a wide headband, or sleep on a towel to keep the extra oil off your pillowcase and face. 

Step 2: Only Shampoo the Roots. This is really where the oils congregate anyway, so rubbing shampoo through the rest of your hair will only dry it out. I take my bar soap (the more natural and moisturizing the better!), get it wet, and then swipe it three or four times over my scalp. I then turn the water off and massage my scalp for about a minute. (The soap lathers up and with the massage is a lovely self-care moment!!)

Step 3: Condition and Detangle. An important thing to remember with any hair type other than straight is to NEVER brush it! Detangle in the shower with a load of conditioner on your palms - rub it in from the ears down and use your finger to detangle. Leave it in for a nice long time while you body-scrub, shave, or wash your face. Rinse lightly and toss your head upside down and scrunch some of the water out. Dry hair in a tee-shirt/turban/microfiber towel.

Step 4: Keep the Curl. With your head upside down and your preferred product in hand (any kind of mousse, cream, smoothly, or gel) scrunch your hair from the tips to the roots. Then toss all your hair to either side and scrunch thoroughly. With your head upright, scrunch up the sides and back with a pea-sized amount of coconut oil to encourage softness and definition. Continue to toss your hair from one side to the other as it dries to encourage volume and soft waves/curls.

Step 5: Always Sleep in A Pineapple! It's basically just a soft bun to keep your curls from getting crushed.

Finally, I like to keep my showers about 4-5 days apart to keep from over striping my hair, so getting it to re-curl daily is important! Using some water (to reactivate the product) and a leave-in detangler spray is perfect for this because it is light, wet, and moisturizing. You could also just use a little water and then some coconut oil to tame the frizz. I do this every morning and toss it back and forth as it dries, just like after my shower. My hair is softer, happier, and bouncier than ever before!!