Multiple personality hair: How to deal when your hair is curly and straight at the same time.

Posted on February 25, 2013

There is a hair gray-area between curly and straight that many of us live in. And I’m not necessarily talking about wavy hair. It is more a mix of curly, straight, and wavy hair growing out of different parts of your head. This can be something you are born with, or your hair texture and wave pattern can change due to hormones or certain illnesses and medications. It can be a challenging figuring out what to do with mix-textured hair.

We have to give a quick little curse to the universe when all of the sudden our hair type and texture changes on us, especially if it the result of a health condition or hormonal shift. It can be hard to adjust, but once you do it can definitely be a blessing. My hair went from straight to curly to both over the course of 5 years and 2 pregnancies. Now, it is straight in the back, wavy on the sides, and curly/”waggly” around my face.

Most of us in this gray-area are prone to either curly-in-the-back triangle head, or the curly-in-the-front poodle mullet like myself. My hair has been weirdly mix-textured since my last pregnancy and it has taken a while to learn to love it.

Lay down your weapons…

First thing, don’t fight your hair too hard. I think it is best to treat your multiple personality hair like it is curly. Don’t shampoo too often ( I ShamPHree and love it), Make sure it is well moisturized, and don’t mess with it too much….Like after you have towel dried it and combed through it with your fingers, give it a good scrunching and let it dry without messing with it at all.

If you are unfamiliar with how to treat your hair like it is curly, check out HTHG’s curl category. If accepting the fact that you have curly hair is a new concept for you, check out curlynikki.com because she is a psychiatrist and a naturally curly girl. naturallycurly.com is also a well of info for curly haired peeps needing tips, tricks, and advice.

As far as your cut and style….

What I have found is that hair with inconsistent wave/curl pattern does best with layers and some bulk removing. When these two things are combined, they result in a general blending of textures and freeing of bulky weight so that the curly parts are less poofy and the straight parts are more wavy. This makes the hair appear more consistent throughout, and it happens to be great for low maintenance styling. A great example of this hairstyle would be the one pictured on my cousin Lindsey above. She has a shlob with weight removed and it looks amazing on her.

If you have longer hair, and you have curly hair in the back, straight in the front, I would suggest long layers with the shortest layers in the front and around the face. To DIY it, try one of HTHG’s ponytail layer cuts, specifically #3.

If your hair is curly in the front and straighter in the back like mine, shorter layers in the back and longer in the front will look better. Try #1 or #2 if you are DIY-ing it;)

Consider getting yourself a Q-Redew steam wand ( I love mine) to help get more curl into the not so curly areas.

In closing, be grateful that you get the best of all worlds in a weird way. Your hair has multiple personalities. If your hair went to a party, it would be the most interesting one there.

Coppery red ombre on #naturallycurly hair!

Posted on December 30, 2012

I have to say that while I get tired of saying and hearing the word ombre, I will never get tired of the look and effect of it. It looks so pretty. Any hairstyle and texture can pull it off. It reminds me of warm weather, it adds dimension and shine, it grows out with no upkeep, and it is so easy to DIY.

Here is my favorite DIY ombre done on curly hair.

Yep. It’s as simple as a ponytail, a paintbrush, and some hair color.

Lovin it. Screen Shot 2012-12-30 at 7.52.00 PM

And I’m also loving the spicy copper ombre. It’s a nice change from the buttery blondes and golds of last season.

Curl ribboning: Polish and define your curls with this priceless trick

Posted on October 4, 2012

This is one of those tricks that I use on every curly client that sits in my chair.

After the dry curl cut, I will generally rinse and condition the curls. I squeeze as much water out as I can. Then, I rake through the hair with my fingers to get it to where it falls naturally. Then I diffuse it a bit ( Sometimes upside down)

When it is about 1/2 dry, I get a little pinky nail sized shmear of my absolute favorite DIY curl product, HTHG’s Liquid gold polisher and rub it between my hands and smooth it gently onto the surface of the curls. Remember friends, handle curls lightly and gently always, so as not to disturb the curl pattern or curl cast too much.

Scrunch a bit of the product gently into the ends. Now, take a single curl and twirl it around your fingers in the direction that it moves naturally. This helps to define the curl while smoothing it and working the product into it a bit more. Do this to many random curls. See the difference? It cuts down on frizz and fuzz and gives the hair a much more shiny, springy look.

With curl ribboning, you get the natural wildness that is inherent in naturally curly hair, with just enough polish to refine and tame the look a bit.

Polish and define your curls with this priceless trick. Try it, curly girls. And tell your curly friends!

Curls transformed

Posted on May 31, 2012

This haircut made me feel lighter, and it’s not even my hair.

Amanda came to me for the first time with long, thick curly/mix texture coarse-ish hair. I cut it into collarbone sweeping layers with my scissor cutting technique, removed an enormous amount of it with my bulk removal technique, and then added face framing layers for a cut that will give her months and months of good shape and style.

Then, I schooled her a bit on brushing more, shampooing less, and encouraged her to switch from mousse to coconut oil.

She left looking fabulous and fresh, and I slept better that night. Thanks Amanda!

A big cut for my curly ginger neighbor

Posted on May 6, 2012

Sick and tired of dealing with her thick curls in 90 degree humidity, Martha was ready for an all out chop. I scissor cut my way through this incredible thick red hair. She wanted short and easy. I cut it short on the sides and back, but leaving texture in the ends. The top I left a bit longer, with the most length in the very front for a modern finish. I cut the back to the nape of her neck, and left some disconnected bits around the front and sides to keep it soft and feminine. This cut is perfect for a low maintainance but hip short ladies hair cut.

It was a drastic change for a mama that was fed up with trying to keep her thick hair contained in the early summery heat. It will grow out very nicely, because this shape holds up really well over time, especially with all the weight taken out of the ends from the scissor cut technique.

Do you want to try it? You can now purchase a more in depth how-to video of this look in the HTHG video store right now!. Try it on yourself or a lucky someone else. Don’t forget to send HTHG a before and after picture!

Don’t forget to subscribe to HTHG to keep up on all inspired DIY hair content. HTHG’s Facebook will keep you up on hair trends, tips, and tutorials from all my favorite stylists and bloggers so be sure to Like! Thanks for visiting. XO