Curly Girl

When I was in my twenties, my hair was sleek and shiny, not to mention naturally blond. I wore it long and straight, always blow drying it after washing, every day. Things began to change, though when I had my first baby, twelve years ago. My friends asked me if I had colored my hair - darker! It lost some of its shine and wouldn't lay quite straight.

The more babies I had, the more unmanageable my hair seemed to get. I labeled it "bumpy." I wished it would either be curly or straight, but it couldn't seem to make up its mind, and I didn't feel like it looked good no matter how I tried to wear it.

Then, I found this book!

Can I just say, Curly Girl rocks! I found tons of great tips to make my "bumps" turn into actual curls. Here is some of the advice I followed to perk up my curls:

• Never brush your hair again. That's right. Throw away your hairbrush. It will only stretch out the curls that are trying to be there.
  
• Don't use shampoo. You heard me. Though this doesn't mean to never wash your hair. It just means don't wash it with shampoo. There are some great recipes for gentle, moisturizing washes in the book. My favorite is the "scrub" with conditioner and brown sugar.
  
• Don't rinse the conditioner out of your hair. Curly hair is thirsty hair. It needs more moisture than straight hair.

There was one bit of advice that I just couldn't bring myself to follow, though. I'm sure you're surprised that I would balk at anything after I just admitted that I don't use shampoo or a brush, but yes, there is one thing that I absolutely will not do. This is where I draw the line: Cold water rinse.

Supposedly, it "seals the hair shaft, giving more shine." I've tried. I really have. I'm sorry. I. Just. Can't. Do it. In fact, I would be likely to give up coordinates for Allied Forces during a time of war if I were threatened with a cold water rinse. I need my hot water, people.


Other than that one torture tactic (shudder), the book is a gold mine of ideas for us gals who have hair that won't behave under normal circumstances. If you ever feel like your hair is bushy, bumpy, or frizzy, you just may be a "Curly Girl" and you haven't discovered it yet.

That's what "Works for Me." You can find lots more great ideas at Rocks in my Dryer.

To see a photo and the Lavender Mist recipe, go to my "More Curly Girl" post.
Edited to add: My scalp does not itch because my hair is never dirty. I do wash it every day, just not with shampoo. I use conditioner and a combination of other ingredients to scrub my scalp thoroughly. It is squeaky clean and always smells fresh.