Coping with curly hair
Written by Jacqui on May 7th, 2013.
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Coping with curly hair
What makes curly hair curl? It has a quite different structure from straight or wavy hair. In particular, ethnic hair structure is unique.
If you slice across a single hair and examine the cross-section under a microscope, the shape will vary – depending on the origin of the person.
Ethnic hair has other distinctive features:
Clearly ethnic hair needs special care because of its distinctive structure.
Long, straight hair has been the desired look for a while now. But there are signs that a different kind of “natural” look is once more becoming desirable – with curly hair appreciated for its bounce and beauty.
This is great news for people with seriously curly hair, because turning curly hair into straight hair usually has damaging side effects:
Healthier, stronger hair with a good feel is the main aim of people choosing the naturalista look, with frizz control and protection against breakage the two big issues.
Leave-in oil products used daily can control frizz and enhance manageability and gloss. We have customers who use a little wild shea butter or jojoba oil spread on their palms then smoothed over their hair each morning.
Washing ethnic hair is a delicate process. According to one US survey, 4% of black women shampoo every day, compared with 34% of women overall. Weekly shampooing and deep conditioning, combined with a daily anti-frizz, can work well for this kind of hair.
Behentrimonium-based conditioners are particularly recommended for their outstanding conditioning properties. You can make your own conditioner using Go Native’s conditioner pellets, which contain behentrimonium methosulphate.
Here is a recipe: http://www.gonative.co.nz/Recipes/Hair+care/Luxurious+conditioner.html
Give your hair a special treat with our Amazing Hair Mask, which is
a great deep conditioning treatment: http://www.gonative.co.nz/Recipes/Hair+care/Amazing+hair+mask.html
So if you have wonderful curly hair, maybe the time has come to put your effort into maintaining its health and shine, so you can delight in it just the way it is.
What makes curly hair curl? It has a quite different structure from straight or wavy hair. In particular, ethnic hair structure is unique.
If you slice across a single hair and examine the cross-section under a microscope, the shape will vary – depending on the origin of the person.
- Asian hair is straight, and circular in cross section.
- Hair of European (Caucasian) origin is somewhat oval, depending on how curly it is.
- Ethnic hair is elliptical, varying from oval to almost flat.
Ethnic hair has other distinctive features:
- Rather than being uniform, the cuticle layers vary around the diameter of the hair, giving it more texture than straight, uniform hair.
- In addition, the diameter varies along the hair shaft, with narrow parts being more easily broken.
- Our scalps produce a natural moisturizer called sebum. For ethnic hair, sebum migration along the hair shaft is low and uneven.
Clearly ethnic hair needs special care because of its distinctive structure.
Long, straight hair has been the desired look for a while now. But there are signs that a different kind of “natural” look is once more becoming desirable – with curly hair appreciated for its bounce and beauty.
This is great news for people with seriously curly hair, because turning curly hair into straight hair usually has damaging side effects:
- Straightening and hair-relaxing products make it even more fragile and prone to breakage, and combing weakens hair where it bends
- After treatment it often has a dry, rough feel and a dull appearance
Healthier, stronger hair with a good feel is the main aim of people choosing the naturalista look, with frizz control and protection against breakage the two big issues.
Leave-in oil products used daily can control frizz and enhance manageability and gloss. We have customers who use a little wild shea butter or jojoba oil spread on their palms then smoothed over their hair each morning.
Washing ethnic hair is a delicate process. According to one US survey, 4% of black women shampoo every day, compared with 34% of women overall. Weekly shampooing and deep conditioning, combined with a daily anti-frizz, can work well for this kind of hair.
Behentrimonium-based conditioners are particularly recommended for their outstanding conditioning properties. You can make your own conditioner using Go Native’s conditioner pellets, which contain behentrimonium methosulphate.
Here is a recipe: http://www.gonative.co.nz/Recipes/Hair+care/Luxurious+conditioner.html
Give your hair a special treat with our Amazing Hair Mask, which is
a great deep conditioning treatment: http://www.gonative.co.nz/Recipes/Hair+care/Amazing+hair+mask.html
So if you have wonderful curly hair, maybe the time has come to put your effort into maintaining its health and shine, so you can delight in it just the way it is.
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