Last week I had tea at the Peninsula with famed hairstylist Ouidad (that’s us posing for the picture!), the queen of the curly hair revolution. The founder of her eponymous salons and haircare line specifically targeted to nourish and treat our kinks, Ouidad firmly believes women should embrace their natural bends. “There’s so much you can do with curly hair!,” she says. Although the surge of flat irons and chemical straightening treatments wiped out waves in the 90s, glamorous curls are back, dominating everything from the red carpet (see Natalie Portman’s romantic Oscar hair) to the runway as seen at the Alice + Olivia spring fashion show.
Being a curly-haired girl myself, I understand how this texture can be intimidating and unpredictable to work with because you never know exactly how your spirals will look from one day to the next. Not to mention, the majority of stylists don’t know how to properly cut or style curls so they end up doing a blow out instead. I asked Ouidad for her tips on how to get the right cut and how to handle your hair at home.
The Right Cut
1. Find a hairdresser with curly hair because they’ll innately know the quarks of curls.
2. Before allowing the professional to cut your hair, find out his or her approach. A razor cut is a big no-no for this texture because it will thin the hair and create frizz.
3. Make sure the stylist cuts locks when wet, not dry, because this is when curls are in their most natural state.
Handle Curls At Home
1. A weekly deep conditioning treatment is the single most important thing you can do for your curls. “It’s like food for the hair,” says Ouidad, who adds that this is the key to eliminating frizz and moisturizing your mane so it looks shiny. Ouidad’s Deep Treatment Intensive Conditioner is a good option because it’s free of heavy oils like shea butter, which can weigh down hair.
2. Only wash hair twice it week. This will help keep curly hair, which is naturally dry, hydrated.
3. To keep curls intact while you sleep, gently gather hair into a bun on the top of your head and secure with a loose scrunchie.
4. When it comes to styling, ditch the brush. Rather, place fingers into sections of hair and softly rake them through to loosen the curls.
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