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We had curlies submit a few curl problems that they face on a daily basis. Here is what curl expert and master of curls, Jonathan Torch, had to say in response to the daily challenges of curly hair.

1. HAIR THINNING:

“As I get older my hair gets thinner. Why is this? And is there a way to prevent it? – Nancy”

There are many causes of thinning hair, especially in women. I don’t know of any proven cure to solve thinning hair, but I do know that stress is definitely a contributing factor. Some helpful day to day tips that prevent thinning are to avoid tight pony tails and wear shorter hairstyles. Choose hair colour tones that reflect light, keeping hair as shiny as possible – the shine creates the appearance of fullness. Avoid products with ingredients that build up and add weight such as those that contain silicones or have waxy/greasy ingredients. Try to massage and invigorate your scalp while shampooing. Massaging stimulates blood circulation which is vital for hair growth.

2. BLOW DRYING:

“What is the best way to bring out a natural curl when blow drying? – Suzanne”

There is a difference between blow drying and diffusing. If you blow dry your curls, they will end up being frizzy and full of tangles and you don’t want that. If you put a diffuser attachment onto your dryer in order to control the air when it comes out, this prevents your curls from blowing all over the place. A diffuser is meant to control air and heat distribution and distribute it evenly over the curls, so it’s an incredibly important asset in any styling set up. It’s important that while you invest in the proper styling products, the other key is how long you take to prep your hair in order to style it. If you spend a reasonable amount of time prepping the hair by properly detangling the hair while wet, distributing Curl Keeper Original from roots to ends and scrunching your curls, the formation of your curls will be perfect. When you start the drying process, as mentioned, try and make sure there is little to no movement until the cuticle dries or the hair is “surface dry”. Continue to gently scrunch your curls at this point but don’t overdo it. Once the hair is completely dry you can separate your curls, soften the look by playing with it and not worry about it frizzing up again! If you need to retouch up some areas, use our H2O water bottle and fine mist those areas with water to reactive the products!

3. COMBINATION CURLS:

“I have greasy hair at the top of my head and dry, split ends at the bottom. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it healthy from top to bottom? – Julie”

Your issues are quite common among curly heads that have lots of thick dense curls. If this is the case, because your hair is so thick it takes shampoo longer to work its way down to the root area. It will take extra effort to even wet the root area and then the ends. Extra time must be taken to soak the root area and extra effort to rinse the shampoo out. Using the proper shampoo will clean all your hair and leave both your hair and scalp fresh and healthy. Avoid conditioning the scalp area; focus on putting conditioner on the ends and not so much on the roots.

4. DRY HAIR:

“I have recently been using products designed for curly hair, but I still find my hair dry and brittle. Is there something I am doing wrong? – Estelle”

The strength of a product is measured by its pH level. If a product has a pH level that is too high, it starts to strip the hair of its essential oils which leaves it dry and brittle. Curl Keeper and Curly Hair Solutions product lines have specifically developed products that are perfectly pH balanced for curly hair. Our Treatment Shampoo is specially designed to strengthen weak hair while our Pure Silk Protein will restore the moisture balance to your curls. I also strongly recommend that you avoid using high heated appliances such as flat irons, because that will burn the hair and make your curls even more brittle.

5. CUTTING CURLS:

“I have really coarse, thick curls that tend to poof, fuzz or both. What is the best haircut to keep my curls from turning into a poodle? – Debbie”

With cutting curly hair, there isn’t a one size fits all type of cut that works. But cutting curly hair inaccurately can result in a style disaster that will take months to grow out and mend. The creative concept of cutting curly hairstyles is all about understanding the correct distribution of bulk: where to eliminate the excess bulk to add volume, movement and bounce, where to help enhance facial features or cover-up others, and how to create easy to maintain fashionable hairstyles for all curly hair personalities. It is important to remember that curly hair does not respond to traditional layering cutting techniques. When getting your hair cut, one of the most important factors is the consultation process. You want to know what the stylist is thinking and if they understand what you have in mind.