Tight Curls in the Salon.
Proper conditioner saturation at the shampoo bowl.
As I dive into more tight curl education, I realize the disconnect in the industry. A lot of what we see is the looser curls that are “super easy” to work with. There is hardly and representation of the tight curls. In cosmetology school, they teach that hair is hair. That could not be more far from the truth. Tight curls need more care, more water, more professional advising. I have noticed that with clients I am often headed in one direction with their hair goals and they are in a different direction with their at home care. Clients goals can change unexpectedly and so does the routine.
The biggest disconnect that I notice is the lack of product and basic hair care techniques. Consumers are struggling with the simple task of shampooing and conditioning their hair. There has been this overload of YouTube tutorials, filled with mega growth testimonials. There are natural hair bloggers who give misinformation on hair care in the black community. There are a plethora of at home colorists, at home trimmers, and more experimenting than I care to go over. Trying to connect the naturalista with a professional natural haircare expert is exhausting.
Stylists are overwhelmed at the amount of work that it takes to get through a tight curl client who hasn’t combed her roots in eons. Stylist are exhausted with the amount of rehabbing of natural hair. We are exhausted trying to help you to unlearn everything that you think is best for your hair. So I will just keep it simple and try to teach you how to wash your hair at home or how to wash natural hair in the salon. Using high quality products and understanding why and when we use our products is important.
The best way to shampoo tight curls in the salon is to first breathe. Sometimes that mane can be intimidating. Remember that it is easier to work in 4 sections than it is to work in two. Detangle the hair if it hasn’t been combed through in the past few days.
Rinse the hair thoroughly with warm water. You want to ensure that you have the hair saturated with water from the roots to the ends. Be sure to open the hair completely to wet the roots. Take your favorite all purpose shampoo and emulsify it in your hands. Work the shampoo in from the ends to the roots.
I recommend AG Naturals Boost and Balance. Here’s the link for the AG shampoo and conditioner: https://bit.ly/33YpDJF. AG Hair Care is a plant based hair care company. Their shampoo and conditioner rids the hair of dirty and product build up. It’s important to make sure the shampoo is really worked into the hair.
Rinse the hair completely and shampoo again. Once the second shampoo is completely rinsed, add conditioner. Be sure to saturate the hair from the roots to the end while detangling the hair from the root to the end. You should then add more water to the hair with conditioner in it. Brush/comb through the hair from the root to the end, you should see the conditioner on the hair.*
Rinse the conditioner from the hair completely. The conditioner is gone when the water runs completely clear.
Tight curly girls need to wash their hair more often. Tight curls cannot thrive in a dirty, dry environment. Washing weekly helps to promote moisture retention and increase hydration. Tight curls in the salon can be challenging but when the salon quality work is continued at home, the challenge passes.
Don’t worry curly girls, I’m learning, and growing. We will make tight curls in the salon a more pleasant experience. We will adore your hair. We will commit to staying up-to-date on tight curl healthy hair care practices.
Love, Peace, and Hair-grease
*Example of proper conditioner saturation is pictured.
