Real Texture Talk: Alex Portelli

NC: What about your hair stylists?

AP: I am very careful about who I let cut my hair. I get the Deva Cut, which is a special curly hair cut where the stylist cuts your hair dry and curl by curl, to shape it in its natural state. I found the Deva Cut after a miserable hair cut when I was 14. A woman cut my hair wet and layered it too much. Needless to say, it looked like there was a fair chunk of my hair missing in the back of my head when the curls dried and settled. It took a couple of years to fully grow back. When I’m in New York, I go to Martha Ellen in Brooklyn and am currently looking for a new stylist in the Boston area.

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

AP: Devachan products have changed my life. I have not yet found another brand that can tame my curls. I use DevaCurl One Condition and DevaCurl DevaCare Arc AnGEL. Different curls may use a different combination of products. I shampoo my hair once a week and I haven’t found that the shampoo brand matters. Once I’m out of the shower, I apply the DevaCare gel and use a microfiber towel to scrunch the curls and remove excess water from my hair.

NC: What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural? 

AP: People didn’t realize how curly my hair really was because I always had it pulled back and straightened. My hair was different so I think most people found it really pretty. I had always been shy and quiet, but my curls made me stand out more.

NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?

AP: I sleep on a silk pillowcase; it reduces the frizz in the morning. Sometimes I will very loosely pull my hair on the top of my head to prevent the top from getting flat.

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