The most frequent asked question that I receive on a daily basis is, if I like my hair? My immediate response is, I love my hair! The next question that usually follows is, if I ever straighten it and how long does it take? I hardly ever straighten my hair because it takes over two hours. Who has time for that?

Curly hair is not the easiest to manage but once you find a product that works, buy 100 bottles of it! The worst thing is running out of your favorite product the day of an important interview or a romantic date. You will find yourself looking through your bathroom cabinets and drawers for something that may suffice for a couple hours, but knowing your curls do not look as good as they can.

At the beginning of the day, my hair is the last thing I really worry about in the morning. I wash my hair a couple times a week and on the other days, I wet it and apply conditioner if necessary. The shampoo and conditioners I use tend to be for frizzy, curly, and dry hair. Try not to use a shampoo that automatically make the curls feel dry after the first rinse and do not always depend on the conditioner to do all of the work.

The one thing I do not do is brush my hair! The typical response given to such a statement is, “How are you able to manage it?” I merely just run my fingers through my hair (when wet in the shower and during the application of my hair serum) eliminating any large knots or even dreadlocks that may have formed. Note: Dreadlocks will form if curly hair is always up or put in to a bun frequently. By not brushing or combing my hair, the curls remain intact and do not have to worry about the curls looking much shorter than they are. Also, not brushing eliminates any curl nests that would normally form towards the back of my head.

I have relatively long, brown, bronzed curly hair. Similar to others with the same hair type, my hair looks shorter than what it is. It took years to determine the right cut and style for the type of hair I have. If certain areas were cut too short it would curl up higher than another section. The biggest issue was to make sure the hairdresser did not cut the front straight across, but to cut at an angle that would lie perfectly with the shape of my face. Note: If you find a hair dresser that cuts and styles your curls the way you love, continue using the same stylist. Do not waste your time exploring other salons to see what else is out there.

Often at times, I will decide to do something drastic to my curly hair look. It could be cutting it as short as possible without looking like an afro or getting it highlighted lighter or coloring it darker. As with any type of hair that has been colored or highlighted, the upkeep is the hardest! I spend at least 2 to 3 hours at the hair salon (majority of the time spent applying the color and tin foil) and over $250 towards my bill. These salon splurges usually occur every 6 to 7 months, so choosing a color tone that will look good 7 months later is the key. As the curly hair grows out, the color should continue to look natural and effortless.

Curly hair is something straight haired girls want, and natural curly haired girls want to get rid of. It is a lose-lose situation if you are always wanting something you do not have. Continuously blow-drying and flat ironing curls will eventually damage and fry the hair. It may just be a phase you are going through and all of sudden one day you wish to go natural, what then?

Embrace, love, and appreciate those curls!