You’re thinking about doing your hair, and can’t quite decide what to do. Procrastination is an option, but you had promised yourself to do better…congrats!
Here are 5 things you should be considering:
1. The weather
Did you know? Hair is so affected by the weather that it can be used to actually measure humidity in the air. In 1763, an instrument was created that does just that. It’s called a hair hygrometer, and you could even make one yourself – see the video below. So no, you haven’t been imagining things, your hair really does change with the weather, please don’t beat yourself up when that bad hair day shows up.
2. Your mood (How much patience you have on a given day)
This one is obvious but easy to miss. Unfortunately, many of us with curly hair (of nearly all types) didn’t learn how to handle our hair until later in life. These are skills that we should have learned when we were younger, but since we didn’t, we’re playing catch up. As a result, it can be a frustrating process. It’s very likely you don’t really know what the right routine is to achieve the result you want, you haven’t had a lot of time to practice, and you have a lot on your plate. So, really, it’s easy to get frustrated when you don’t get the style you really want.
It’s important that we give ourselves some grace. If you’re not in the mood to experiment, or you don’t have it in you to spend a lot of time doing your hair, then by all means, make things easy for yourself today, do a style that’s easy for you, and call it a day. When you feel ready, come back and experiment.
One of the starter styles I always recommend is a twist out. It’s hard to get it wrong, and even if it gets messed up, it elongates your curls so that you could find ways to put your hair up into a workable updo.
3. The style you want to achieve
Make sure you plan my friend. Here is a very brief guide to start you off. If you are attempting a style for the first time, always be sure to plan for extra time. Also, if a style fails, convert it into a twist out, and call it a day, you can’t really go wrong, can you?
- Mini twists: Unless you have help, budget a day or 2
- Wash and go: If it’s your first try, invest a couple of hours on day 1 to really define your curls throughout. Once your curls are defined, keep them fresh and you won't have issues with tangles. Wash and gos want you to wash more often! That's the secret ;)
- Twist out: 30 minutes is probably enough. Work in large sections if you must
- True wash and go: This is the fastest, and it can look great if your hair is not tangled. It's an extra easy style if your hair is very short
4. Your curl pattern
The latest science says that there are at least 8 different types of curls out there. Here are the 8 types laid out next to each other. Can you make out your type just based on looking at this picture? You could be more exact by checking out our hair type calculator. The bottom line is, if you are being inspired by someone else, keep in mind that they could be working with a very different hair type than you.
In addition to the type of curl (as laid out below), there are also other considerations including: How much hair you have on your head, that’s called hair density. Some people’s curls are packed tight, while others seem to have very few strand on their head. Fun fact, if you have low density, Frizz is actually your friend! More on that later, make sure you sign up to get future tips
5. The condition of your hair on that day
Finally, and this is probably the biggest thing to consider before trying a new style: what’s the current condition of your hair? Have you been conditioning it well lately or has it been in a neglected “protective style” for weeks? Be realistic, your hair responds to how it’s treated. Keep that in mind as you choose your routine for the day. Is it time for a deep conditioning treatment? Sometimes, that’s the best thing you can do for your hair today. Also, for yourself, take a little time to take care, will you?