No-Poo: Re-embracing My Curly Hair

My hair.  It's been years since we were friends.  I was born with curly hair and always loved it.  Styling my hair was a breeze.  But as the "awesome 80s" took over for some reason I got a perm (and ugly bangs with plenty of hairspray) when I already had curly hair. (What was I thinking? I think I wanted tighter curls.) Perms are so hard on your hair.  But my natural curl still survived.  It was perfect when I was in humid climates but the dry weather is a challenge for it.

Can you tell which one is the perm? Hint - I have braces in the picture too.

But for whatever reason after having a baby my hair did not want to behave.  The curls and waves were inconsistent, flat, and hard to style especially when my hair would fall out after a few weeks postpartum. At the same time straight hair became popular. It seemed like a good time to leave my curls behind.  So for years I have (most days) straightened my hair.  But - this came at a price to my hair.  Curly hair tends to be more fine.  I have thin hair anyway but all that blow drying and straightening took it's toll and my hair never seemed to like being straight either.  What is a curly girl to do?

And then, I saw a post from an acquaintance from high school.  She posted a series of videos on how to  identify what kind of curly or wavy hair you have and how to take care of it.  Even if you think your hair is straight you might be surprised by watching her video to find out that you have wavy or swavy hair.  While watching her video I realized that my hair had just lost some of its curl and was just more wavy than curly now.

There is also a great book called Curly Girl: The Handbook. I love it!  It has all kinds of natural recipes for taking care of your hair too.  And did you know if you have curly hair that your hair should be cut while dry not wet?  I had many "aha" moments while watching the video and reading the book about how to treat my hair better.  For example, I wash my hair too often stripping it of its natural oils that keep it healthy and shiny. This Deva Curl website offers some great information too.

Just a warning, this is not going to be pretty (watching me painfully reclaim my curly hair).  Re-training my curly wavy hair is a pain.  There are many more bad hair days to come. I find myself grimacing as I pass the mirror because my curls have gone flat.  In one day I have a tendency to start with my hair one way, then try something else, and then finally give up and go for a ponytail.  But for the health of my hair I want to give this a try. For some reason I want to just reclaim the hair God gave me (even the new gray ones).  If all else fails, I can always go back to straightening my hair.

But, in the meantime, just pretend my hair looks amazing, smile even though you are wondering what is going on with my hair, and think "oh ya, she went no-poo" (no sulfates in my shampoo that is).  Sulfates are what cause the lather and bubbles but they suck the natural oils from your hair that keep it healthy. So I have a new shampoo that does not lather but still cleanses and is kinder to my hair.  

Maybe there's still hope.  Maybe my hair will forgive me and we can be friends again?  Wish me luck!