Curly Hair

Embrace your texture! It’s all about you!

“Hair brings one’s self-image into focus; it is vanity’s proving ground. Hair is terribly personal, a tangle of mysterious prejudices.” –Shana Alexander

It’s not just what grows on your head; hair is a representation of the self, and an element of the persona. What Alexander says rings true especially for the curly community. Hair should be personal, and whether it’s intended or not, hair says volumes for the kind of person you are. So, what kind of person do you have to be to wear curly hair? Whether you’re transitioning to natural hair, or deciding if curls are right for you, our CurlTalk users have some words of wisdom to share.

Do you…….?

Prefer Convenience

Emily Kleinsorge has naturally wavy hair and is the owner of Lucy Skyrocket Salon in Austin, Texas. Kleinsorge has been styling hair since she was in college. After realizing her passion for hair and beauty, she abandoned her job at a software company to pursue a career as a hairstylist. Her natural talent shone through, and she was awarded a scholarship for the Aveda Institute in Houston. Kleinsorge is especially passionate about curly hair, and sought specific training at the Devachan Salon in New York City, home of the Original Curly Girl, Lorraine Massey. Now in her fourth year as a professional stylist, Kleinsorge’s experience has showed her that sometimes going natural is the best option, especially in humid environments.

“Living in Austin, if you especially have curly hair, it is always going to prevail. You might as well do what you can to work with your natural texture. People act like it’s more difficult, but in the long run it’s easier because you’re not fighting what your hair wants to do,” says Kleinsorge. Bottom line: fighting your natural texture is not an easy task. Hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons are sometimes more work than they are worth.

Embrace Texture

In the past, so much of the media pressured women (and men”> to wear straight hair, regardless of their natural texture. Kleinsorge believes that the plight for curly representation in the media is improving, making it easier for women to go natural if they desire.

“Things are changing for the better. Celebrities are wearing curly hair,” says Kleinsorge. She believes texture is making a big comeback, and the emergence of more and more products is evidence of that. Kleinsorge has noticed these changes taking place in her own salon, and says, “…even coloring is working towards bringing out natural hair, and even the keratin treatments are now being marketed to not completely straighten the hair.” The desire to maintain natural tresses is indeed apparent from the many keratin treatments on the market that promise not to alter the client’s natural texture. Many women are rejecting keratin treatments if it results in pin-straight, lifeless locks.

Are you…..?

Laid Back

Kleinsorge agrees that natural curls are not for everyone. It’s largely a matter of preference, but if you plan to rock your natural curls, she recommends approaching it with a laid back attitude. Hair is not always going to be perfect; it has as much personality and mood swings as people do. Accepting that some days are going to be worse than others will put you at an advantage in rocking natural curls and help you accept your hair’s texture. A laid-back curly girl is much easier going and doesn’t stress over looking absolutely perfect. With an easygoing nature, she accepts what her hair is. Take this CurlTalk user as an example:

“I wore my hair curly because I knew that was the way my hair was made – the way it was intended to look.”

-CurlTalk User: wavynwild16

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