Curly hair. It’s not as easy as it looks. For women in the Middle East especially, they can face unique challenges as their hair is often thick and fragile. Special attention has to be paid. In steps Kozma & Kozma salon in Dubai. Focusing on curly hair they are the first salon in the region to solely celebrate this unique hair texture. From the climate to the water, they know that the Middle East can often play havoc with your tresses. Here they share their tops tips for ensuring your locks stay in tip-top condition during the summer months and beyond.
1. Frequent trims are essential. But any old trim will not do. If you are not familiar with dry cutting, it’s time to re-think your prior knowledge of what a trim means. Curly hair grows out first, and then down. Visit a professional who knows how to cut curly hair. With the #KozmaCurlMethod, we cut hair dry, curl by curl. Cutting curly hair wet can cause a misinterpretation of the spring factor, meaning, an inch is not an inch on curly hair- an inch can sometimes cause the hair to shrink up 4 inches, depending on the curl type! Dry cutting allows us to read hair in it’s natural state. Once you have established the shape and length on your initial visit, your follow up visits would be what we call ‘’curl dusting’’ (taking only enough off to resemble a fine dust) or a micro trim. Aim to trim your curly hair every three months – this will help keep the ends strong and healthy and encourage growth since there will be less breakage. One more thing, never allow anyone to use a razor, a texturing shear or texturing techniques to ‘’de-bulk’’ the hair- these tools will shatter the curl patterns, split the ends, and damage the cuticle which will increase frizz.
2. Deep Conditioning Treatments should be done once a week. Keeping your hair as hydrated as possible minimizes frizz and protects your hair from the elements – heat and humidity. Steam treatments offer curly hair the best results- especially for those with high porosity curl types, by swelling the hair shaft and allowing moisture to reach deep inside the hair. Pop into the salon for a steam treatment, or DIY at home by getting a good steam going in your shower and relaxing (listen to a podcast, or shave your legs) for 15 minutes while the treatment works its magic.
3. Surrender your blow-friers (aka blow-driers). Avoid blow-drying your hair. The air from the blow-dryer blasts the cuticle open, causing frizz, disturbs the curl families, and too much blow-drying can cause damage. Air-drying is best. If you really want to speed up the drying time, it is fine to use a diffuser. Diffusers are designed to minimize and soften the airflow.
4. Detangle with love. Don’t rush and rip through your hair when detangling. As a general rule, curly hair is prone to damage and breakage because of how fragile it is, so be gentle. I recommend using your fingers to detangle, but this should only be done in the shower when hair is wet and has a generous amount of conditioner on it, to act as a lubricant and allow the knots and tangles to slide apart. Be patient and take your time. NEVER comb or brush the hair when hair is dry. If you must use a brush, choose bristles whose teeth are wide apart as tightly bristled brushes will break curly hair.
5. Avoid damage from friction. Curly hair is delicate and quite sensitive to how it’s treated. Constant rubbing and friction takes its toll, resulting in damage and frizz. If you cover your hair, make sure your abaya or hijab is 100% silk or a material that has some ‘’slide’’ to it. Cotton tends to stick to hair and roughs up the cuticle by pulling at it. Also, your pillowcase and your towel need to be considered as well. Switching to a pillowcase that is 100% silk allows your hair to glide around as you sleep at night, preserving your curly style and preventing damage from friction. Invest in a microfiber towel. These are a must-have, not only do they help preserve your curls by not ‘’pulling’’ at them, they cut down on drying time as they are highly absorbent. Just make sure you ‘’squeeze’’ the moisture from your hair, do not use a rubbing action.
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