How to: Unfurl the Curl

Tue, 19 June 2012 9:01AM

Curls are back. For some of us, they never left (sigh) but for others who have trained to Olympic standard with their ghd, now is the time to down tools from your vice-like grip and slowly move away from the heat styler.

The relaxed curly tendril trend has recently been blowing downwind from a US summer, with model Lindsey Wixson, here at Chanel’s Little Black Book exhibition, Beyoncé and Halle Berry all letting their freak fuzz fly. So of course it was only a matter of time – and a timely drop in humidity – before us Aussies caught on.

But I’m biased. Having curly hair I have embraced it from day dot. I’ve worn it long, short, dark, blonde, pink and I’ve even shaved it off. But each time it’s bounced back to put a new twist on my look every day. And I’m talking Every. Day.

See, no two days are the same with curly hair. Which makes it fun. Undone. Imperfect. And heck, they are great qualities in anything Primpettes. (Unless we’re talking about the zip on your jeans in which case ‘undone’ is not good)

Tracey Hughes, Creative Director of Mieka Hairdressing in Melbourne and the Gold Coast gets straight to the point on how you can unfurl your inner curl.

Celebrate the mess: The appeal of curls lies in their mayhem and imperfection, Tracey tells me. “They are huge on the catwalk at the moment and are making a big resurgence in daily life, which is great as they are such an easy, do-it-yourself look.”

Lose weight: If you’re feeling weighed down by your mop, removing weight from the haircut will encourage the spring back into your curl more, says Tracey. “Layering techniques are fantastic, particularly squarer shapes as they are more flattering so you don’t end up looking like you have an afro or bad perm with a shape that is too round.”

Prescribe heavy hair medication: “Have a thorough consultation with your stylist in salon on what your hair needs,” Tracey urges, “as there are many different variations of curls and therefore varying treatment and styling products.” Tracey says the reason so many women feel they have to straighten curls out is because they are discouraging – rather than encouraging – its natural kink and wave by using the wrong product.

Beware; curls deliver kick-ass karma: If you’ve spent years scaring your hair into submission via heat styling, don’t expect them to bounce back from the ordeal overnight. “Your hair will take time to recuperate the curl back,” says Tracey. “Lots of nourishment with the right products will help and getting a great haircut that will stimulate the curl to bounce back is a must,” she says. “More importantly you need to change your attitude towards your curls and start embracing them so you get used to your new look.”

Tracey’s top care tips:

• Use a professional shampoo and conditioner and spend time doing regular treatments.
• Invest in regular in-salon deep hair conditioning treatments, as they are a great preventative as well as therapeutic measure.
• If you are always using heat styling tools then always ensure you are using a heat protection product first for extra protection.
• Focus on nourishment, as curly hair needs extra moisture more than straight hair so invest in great professional products suitable for your curls.
• To prevent frizz in curly hair, don’t towel dry, this ruffles up the hair shaft. Instead, simply work the towel through your hair, squeezing out water from root to tip.
• Get a fabulous haircut that works with what your curls want to do and commit to regular haircuts to maintain the great shape. Embrace your curls and wear them with pride.

ecb x

Posted by: ecb

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Tags: curls, curly hair, featured how to, frizzy hair, Lindsey Wixson, mieka hairdressing