For a long while I lived in fear of styling my own hair. I saw styling as “challenging.” You see I have 4B/4C natural hair.

4B/C curls are tiny, dry, dense, and fragile! Consequently, they are touchy to rough handling, and thus thrive in both low manipulation and protective hair styling.

In the past I would style my hair everyday and because I have fine hair my ends took a beating. Along with prior damage sustained through frequent heat [plus excessive styling] I had to get major trims December 2011 & May 2012. It seemed like my hair would never grow.

I understood effective balancing of protein and moisture to minimize breakage. I understood proper product selection. I however did not understand styling! And understanding styling leads to building a healthy hair care regimen...

Ultimately, I made the decision to leave my hair alone! So I started doing a lot of low manipulation/protective styling and it paid off (see curly girl the handbook*).

Once my hair was styled I would carry it for 3-4 weeks (moisturizing daily and co-washing weekly: see chart below); and because I was not manipulating my hair every day I began to retain length steadily.

Another thing is I have fine but thick hair (combination hair) thus I hated styling it because of it's volume! I dreaded wash day!!

However, I began playing movies and/or music during styling this not only helped me to relieve tension but also anxiety, making styling so much easier! No wonder salons have TV's!

Growing up, my mother encouraged me to learn how to style, I half listened and half ignored. Today, I am grateful I listened. I am not where I want to be but I’m getting better with practice. 

Furthermore, when it comes to styling my hair it really is the smallest things that make the biggest difference.  Styling my hair myself guarantees my time. I am a small business owner: so my time is money. 

No more waiting to book salon appointments and working in to a stylist's schedule. Here's hoping that the tips below give you inspiration; amazing ahas! and a kick to start styling your hair... in the words of Joyce Meyer: Do it Afraid! Practice makes perfect!!

[caption id="attachment_1166" align="aligncenter" width="800"] NO HEAT SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011, HOWEVER THE CONSEQUENCES OF APPLYING HEAT PREVIOUSLY LED TO 2 MAJOR TRIMS IN DECEMBER 2011 & MAY 2012.[/caption]

 

 

 

Below are 10 tips for curly hair styles:

 

• Styling depends on so many factors that are often overlooked, for instance: climate, hair texture (fine, combination, coarse); level of skill (beginner, average, advanced) to name a few.  Some people,  for instance, will not wear two strand twists but rather twist outs simply because their hair is too fine. Twist outs give volume and bold curls; thus are a better alternative. Stop doing what you want to do to your hair and start listening to it. The more you listen the better you’ll style.

• Practice on doll heads! My mom always encouraged me to learn this way. Most cosmetology schools and regular hair product stores have mannequin heads available to purchase for practicing hair dressing styles.(1)

•  Divide hair into manageable sections ALWAYS, using hair clips, bobby pins, hair bands and/or twists. Always use a metal rat-tail comb for precise parting. However, never use its teeth on curly hair! Detangle with your fingers (or wide tooth comb instead). Hair that is finger-combed often tends to be thicker and longer than hair that is detangled exclusively using combs.(2)