TUESDAY TWIRL

FEATURING: CURL DIVA, LOVES2LAUGH a.k.a. ZARA

In the words of LOVES2LAUGH...

1. How long have you had your curly perm?
I’ve had my current curly perm since January 2009.

2. What's your hair background - was this your first chemical experience?
No, I’ve had braids & weaves as well as curly perms & relaxers. I came back to curly perms because I love curly hair more than any other type of hair plus my hair reached it's longest length with curly perms.

3. What type of curly perm do you have & what's your routine?
I have a CFC but I’m still experimenting with my routine & products - I have a sensitive scalp & dry hair. I currently wash once a week - I pre-poo with EVOO, then wash with sensitive shampoo, DC with EVOO added to sensitive conditioner, towel dry, apply my daily products & leave to dry. I never use heat & don’t intend to for a long time. My daily products are UBH Dew Spray Moisturiser, UBH Crème Lotion, & Designer Touch No Drip Curl Activator. I also baggy overnight.

4. What's your favorite style?
Well, my hair is very short at the moment so I leave it in a curly afro. When it's shoulder length or longer I may try some straight styles like blowdrying it straight (not recommended you do this often). I've also heard that you can do the curly perm process without putting in rods if you want to keep the straight look until the next retouch.

However, curly styles are my favourite! I’m hoping my hair will be long enough to put up in a high curly ponytail/puff. Also, I’d like to do canerows in the front, sides & back with the curls left out on top in a puff. I also like short styles & curly bobs too... So this summer when my hair's a little longer I may try some scarves used as a head bands tied at the back with the ends left hanging down my back, 70s style. Also, when it's longer I’d like to leave it down with a side parting & have a flower at the side like the Hawaiian girls! I could go on & on!

5. Since ladies are always complaining about dryness & shedding, how do you deal with these issues?
To be honest I’ve had many problems with my hair but shedding is not one of them, in fact I currently lose very little hair. But then I only comb my hair with a large tooth comb once a week on wash days. I'm also gentle when handling my hair in general. The dryness I think is caused by porosity which I’m trying to combat. EVOO has been really helpful for dryness & UBH Dew (or any high water content moisturiser) is good for my hair. Plus I have/will be trying protein, ACV Rinses & Roux Porosity Control to combat the porosity.

6. Have you noticed any difference in your growth/retention rate?
Well, my hair seems to be growing more slowly! However, my retention rate seems to be good. With weaves & especially braids when I took them out I would lose chunks of ends when I combed. Also, I lost a lot of ends with my curly perm in 2007 (½ inch or so) but my growth was much faster, you could see the hair was growing.

7. What advice would you give to potential/new curly perm wearers?
Loads! Try & research as much as you can on perms before you take the plunge. Look around for good hairdressers, if it’s not possible to go in for a consultation beforehand at least try to have a 'mini-consultation' on the phone. Try & make sure your hair is in good condition before you perm. Be aware that people have different results; your own result will be based on your hair type, the length & condition of your hair, the size of the rods & the after care/products you use.

8. Hair type and Length.
Natural hair type 4 a or b I think; length is 3½ plus inches

Picture taken in the week after the 1st perm. I had many issues – the perm didn’t take well, the stylist combed out my hair with a small tooth comb plus the curls were too small & frizzy. I don’t have any earlier photos as I was too depressed to take any! By the time this was taken my hair had settled down .


1st perm again. Depending on how curly my hair is it shrinks by at least 50%. Definitely something to keep in mind if you’re interested in perming but your hair isn’t that long.


1st retouch, same evening. I had good curl definition & my hair looked shorter … but 6 hours later, hair has dried out & the ends have begun to straighten & look wispy (I have problems with porosity). If I don’t mosturise it will look weird & bushy.


1st retouch, same night moisturised.


Please excuse my attire! About 2 weeks & 2 washes after the retouch, my hair looks a little fuller. It’s too short to style, I just apply my products, shape it a little & leave it an afro.

TUESDAY TWIRL

FEATURING: CURL DIVA, -PAJE-

Technically, -Paje- is the winner of the free products. However, she's experimenting with some other things & passed on the products. So they're still available. In the words of -Paje-...

1. How long have you had your curly perm?
I've had my curly perm since July 2008, so about 8 months.

2. What's your hair background - was this your first chemical experience?
Before getting my curly perm I was natural for about four years, and before that I had a relaxer maybe for about 8 years.

3. What type of curly perm do you have & what's your routine?
I have a Care Free Curl. I moisturize daily and wash once a week at the most. At times I wait two weeks because my hair gets really dry after I wash it.

4. What's your favorite style?
I don't like having my hair in my face so I'll wear a headband (I've learned not to wear them too tightly.) or clip up the front of my hair with something. I usually just wear my hair out.

5. Since ladies are always complaining about dryness & shedding, how do you deal with these issues?
To help combat the shedding I don't comb my hair everyday anymore, just on wash days. I fingercomb as needed. As for the dryness, I'm still trying to figure that out. I've recently started moisturizing my hair twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, with a mixture of water, infusium 23, and CFC Instant Moisturizer. My hair is fine when it's not completely dry, but once all of the product has dried up my hair feels dry and sometimes hard. So, I'm still searching to find something that will keep my hair soft and moisturized even when it's completly dry.

6. Have you noticed any difference in your growth/retention rate?
I can definently see my hair growing now. I got a cut in November of '08, and by February '09 my hair was back to its original length. I'm not sure if I'm actually retaining better than when I was natural, or if my growth is just more noticable now because my natural hair shrank a lot.

7. What advice would you give to potential/new curly perm wearers?
Make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing. It only takes one mistake to mess up your hair. Also, be patient while you find what works for your hair. I'm still experimenting.

8. Hair type and Length
I would guess that I'm somewhere in the 4 range and somewhere between shoulder length and armpit length.

The first pic was taken after I got my first curl.


The second pic is a comparison between the cut I got in November and the growth I had by February.


The third is a pic of how I usually wear my hair, with the top clipped away from my face.

TUESDAY TWIRL

FEATURING: CURL DIVA, HONEYA

I’m so excited to be featuring my very first Curl Diva. HoneyA is a fellow member of LHCF & was very helpful & informative as I made my decision to get a curly perm. In the words of HoneyA…

1. How long have you had your curly perm?
For about 5 years now

2. What's your hair background - was this your first chemical experience?
No, I've been relaxed, transitioned to natural, had a curly perm, relaxed, transitioned to natural, texturized, then transitioned to natural, now I've got a curly perm again and this is what I prefer other than being natural because of the versatility it offers. I can wear it wavy, straight or play with the moisture level for a texlaxed or testurised look.

3. What type of curly perm do you have & what's your routine?
Wave by Design. I wash 1x every week or two with CON moisturising detangling shampoo. Depends on how my hair feels. I DC with heat at every wash with one of my favourite DCs. I use Elasta QP DPR-11, Lustrasilk shea butter with mango, or Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol. It changes but as long as it is moisturising. I also use protein when needed. I moisturise most days with S-Curl, Wave Nouveau or Wave by Design products and seal with castor oil. I also pre-poo with olive oil and that really helps with the detangling process.

4. What's your favorite style?
Either open or in an updo.

5. Since ladies are always complaining about dryness & shedding, how do you deal with these issues?
I don't have issues with dryness because I moisturise quite well. I've recently had a problem with shedding and I did a tea rinse and that helped tremendously. I've also been taking garlic pills and iron pills.

6. Have you noticed any difference in your growth/retention rate?
I only noticed a difference after joining LHCF two years when I started taking care of my hair properly. Now I retain more length. My growth ranges between 1/2" and 3/4" per month.

7. What advice would you give to potential/new curly perm wearers?
Learn your hair and keep things as simple as possible. Having a perm is easy if you don't do too much. The basics are really all you need. Moisturise really well after washing and before your hair dries. Soft-n-Free lotion is good for putting moisture back in after washing. Don't forget the protein!

8. Hair type and Length
4a/ currently past bottom of BSL (pics are from December 2008 and I don't have any recent ones)







FROM LEMONS TO LEMONADE
Yesterday I was truly feeling down about my hair so I decided to experiment a little. I went to the BSS and purchased some CFC Gold Activator as well as some CFC Snap Back. When I got home I did some flat twists to the back, moisturizing each section with the activator. Then I pinned the twists up in the back & saran wrapped my hair for an overnight moisture boost. Well I just took the twists down & had to get some quick pics before my hubby left for work. I haven’t really styled it but so far me likey. This curl seems to be very versatile!