Watch Your (Curls) Form: Understanding the changes in curls - May 2, 2013

[ Hair with front section pinned back ]

 

I fell in love with my curls...again! And for good reason! After doing one of my wash and go routines, my curls were wonderfully defined and looked extremely SOFT and touchable! Oh, how I fell hard! I had been trying for the past few months to get to the point where my hair was more curls than frizz, and I'm finally here!!! I received so many compliments as well, which boosted my confidence and happiness too.

It's important to understand hair as an ever-changing entity, because that's exactly what it is! Think of when you were born. Every baby is born either hairless or with a little bit of hair. That's a fact of life. For the first years of your life, your hair may be straight, wavy, curly, kinky, brown, black, blonde, red or a mixture of any of those. But as you grow older & pass the different milestone stages of your life like, ages 6, 12, 19, your hair may go through many different changes! People born with straight hair may find themselves with a head of bouncy curls by middle school or people born with blonde hair may be brunette by high school! These same hair changes happen when girls transition from relaxed to natural. When I first cut my hair, it was a frizzy mess! Of course, I didn't realize that my curls were lacking moisture & that I also needed a trim (the list goes on), but the texture of my hair was completely different than it is now. Currently, my hair is softer and frizz is less prominent! The thing is, I didn't really do anything different per say. I guess my hair just needed time to simply change!

Yesterday, I went about the same "refreshing" routine I'd been going through for the past few months. However, I had only been getting amazing curl definition in the front and along my edges. To refresh my curls, I usually wet my hair by using my spray bottle or cupping water in my hands in the shower. I make sure that my hair's really wet but not soaking. This is a great way to reactivate any product that's already in your hair. I let my wet curls form for a few minutes or so and then go through my curls with oil, rich cream and/or gel. This time, I used my gel. I smoothed the gel all over my hair, focussing on the front sections, then scrunched a bit afterwards and ran my hands through to separate the curls. I then topped it off with some of my sweet almond oil. I then let it air dry. I didn't even really notice that my curls had formed so nicely until I saw a picture! I honestly felt so much joy, witnessing the soft and defined curls that I could now achieve with minimal effort!

It took about 5 months for my curls to change their form but I am so happy that I remained patient throughout the dry, rough, frizzy stages! It's amazing encouragement to wait and see how my hair will look in a few months time! My story is also a reminder that your hair will most likely change it's course a few times through your journey of becoming a natural. Be patient and allow your hair to do its thing!

[ My curls after my wash & go routine ]