Your Best Curls Yet!

By Kim Issacs

Every Curly wishes to have the best, most fluffy, most defined curls ever. In order to achieve that wish, there are a few things you absolutely must know about your hair. You must get to know your hair beyond your curl pattern. Here are a few of the most important things you should know about your hair in order to achieve your best curls yet!

    1)    Porosity. Porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Knowing whether your hair is low, normal, or high porosity will help you determine how to keep your hair moisturized, which is key to having plump, juicy curls. Hair that is low porosity will have a hard time absorbing moisture, but will retain it easier. High porosity hair is able to absorb moisture more easily, but will release it just as fast. Normal porosity hair will be able to absorb and retain moisture with no trouble at all. 

2)    Strand Size. Are your individual strands fine, medium, or thick? This will also play a part in keeping your hair moisturized. For example, hair strands that are fine may require a lighter moisturizer, as anything too thick will weigh it down. Thicker strands may need a heavier product in order to keep it soft. 

     3)    Density. How many strands do you have on your head? Understanding your density will help you moisturize and style your hair. How many sections will you need? Those Curlies with a lot of strands may require more sections to apply product for styling, and those with less strands may not need as many.

Knowing these three things will help you determine the best way to moisturize and style your hair to keep it looking its best. Make sure you do your own research. One of my favorite resources is the The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy. It’s my personal hair bible.  The very first book I purchased when I decided to go natural was Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair by Chris Tia-Donaldson. It’s a wonderful resource as well! YouTube is great if you’re a visual person like I am, and want to see other naturals in action. One of my favorites is Elle on www.youtube.com/user/denimpixie. Check her out!