Tricks to Maintaining Your Curly Hair. My Personal Experience.

by Heather Wise
(Seattle, Washington, USA)

I have always had issues with taking care of my hair. It has always been too frizzy, too flat, too coarse, etc. However, after dealing with this for 20+ years, I have finally found what works for me. Hopefully, those of you with similar hair can benefit from what I have learned :)

Washing... most curl specialists tell you to not wash your hair more than a couple of times a week. I find this to be horrible on my hair. It quickly starts to look unhealthy after day 2 of not washing it. I, personally, wash my hair every day. The only reason I wouldn't is if I am having a lazy day around the house (or some darn good bedhead). My hair doesn't get dried out, and I actually seem to have fewer than the average fly-aways.

Shampoo and conditioner... this has been one of my biggest issues. I have tried shampoos and conditioners that are "specialized" for curly hair, but I have found that they either don't work, or I find my hair coarse and unruly afterwords. After experimenting with many different products, I have found that a mix between Pantene "Curly" Shampoo, and Pantene "Med-Thick" conditioner works best for me. However, if you have fine-er hair, I would suggest you use Pantene's "Fine" conditioner instead.

Now for the big question...how to style that type of hair? Well, I have tried using MULTIPLE different hair products for my hair. I have even tried a diffuser before. Out of every product I have tried, I have discovered that "Catwalk's Curls Rock Curl Amplifier" is by far the best! You put it in while your hair is still wet (not dripping wet...but close to). You use a single pump if your hair is as long as mine or longer. Evenly distribute it throughout your hair, shake strands of hair from your roots, style, and let air dry. This product has become my favorite for multiple reasons…

• 1) It doesn't make my hair feel hard and crusty when I use it. It makes it feel soft and healthy.
• 2) It doesn't make my hair look over product-ed and greasy. It actually keeps it looking very natural.
• 3) It controls the frizz! This is the first product that I have ever used that actually keeps my frizz completely under control.
• 4) My hair stays tame when in the presence of moisture! I have been soaked to the bone from walking through rain, and without any care, my hair bounced right back up into its previous curly state as it dries.
• 5) As many of you would probably agree, you can't touch your hair in fear of it frizzing... With this product, I have found that I can minimally play with my hair. However, it does tend to make my hands feel slightly greasy, so I do not do it often (the point is that it can be done!).

Lastly, I used to put my hair up in tight pony tails all of the time. I always had horrible fly-aways because of this. I have only recently discovered the trick of making only loose pony tails. My fly-aways have greatly reduced, and it even looks nicer (to me anyway) than when it is in a tight pony tail.

Want to know the best part? I have had experiences where I am able to go about my day with "bed head". With the way my hair is, and the way I take care of it, I have had instances where I wake up and go to class (I am a college student) or run errands after waking up, throwing on clothes and heading out the door.

I hope this helps some of you out! I have lived all over the country (humid climates, wet climates, dry climates) and I have found that this is the best way for people with similar hair. I very rarely have any problems. I hope some of you can learn from my experiences. :)